The Birth of the States of the Mexican Republic Part I

In 1821, the Mexican government declared independence from Spain and adopted an Imperial model of governance that didn't last long. In less than a year after the coronation of Agustin I, it was decided that Mexico would become a federal republic constituted by free states.

By Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Carta General del Estado de México y el DF by Luis G. BecerrilArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

General Archive of the Nation

Through this exhibition, the legislative processes that led some states to join the Federation as of 1823 and others that were created throughout national history will be revealed.

The collections of the state and municipal archives, such as those shown here, together with those of the General Archive of the Nation, reflect the political and administrative structure of the Mexican Federation. Exhibiting documents from the three levels of government will reveal the way in which the Republic that we know today was structured.

Acta Constitutiva de la Federación, portada (1824) by Soberano Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Constitutive Act of the Federation

On January 31, 1824, the provinces that formed New Spain, the captaincy general of Yucatán and the internal provinces of the east and west, decided to become a Federal Republic made up of free and sovereign States whose government would be divided into three powers: Executive , Legislative and Judicial.

Acta Constitutiva de la Federación, foja 1f (1824) by Soberano Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

This document, proclaimed by the Sovereign Constituent Congress, gave the Federation legal formality, established the political structure that formed it through the States, and laid the foundations of what was the first Constitution of the Mexican Republic.

Acta Constitutiva de la Federación, foja 2f (1824) by Soberano Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Acta Constitutiva de la Federación, foja 93f (1824) by Soberano Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

With the signing and proclamation of this document, the Republic that would be called the Estados Unidos Mexicanos was founded.

Acta Constitutiva de la Federación, foja 93V (1824) by Soberano Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Mapa del estado de Guanajuato (1884) by Colección Cartográfica Antonio García CubasArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

General Archive of the Poder Ejecutivo de Guanajuato

Comunicado de la Diputación Probincial de Gunajuato (1823) by Diputación Provincial de GuanajuatoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

This series of documents documents the steps taken to create the Constitutional Legislature of Guanajuato.

Comunicado de la Diputación Probincial de Gunajuato (1823) by Diputación Provincial de GuanajuatoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

The Provincial Council of Guanajuato, in order to reconcentrate its government at one point and avoid disorder, declares to adopt the federated government system.

Comunicado de la Diputación Probincial de Gunajuato (1823) by Diputación Provincial de GuanajuatoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Comunicado sobre un decreto del Congreso a través de Lucas Alamán (1824) by Lucas AlamánArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

The first Secretary of State, through Lucas Alamán, communicates: that the Sovereign Mexican Congress has decreed: Law to establish the particular constituent legislatures in the provinces that have been declared States of the Mexican Federation and that have not established them : Guanajuato, Mexico, Michoacán, Puebla de los Angeles, Querétaro, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí.

Comunicado sobre un decreto del Congreso a través de Lucas Alamán (1824) by Lucas AlamánArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Se instala legítimame Soberano Congreso Constituyente del Estado Libre de Guanajuato (1824) by José María de Septiem y Monteros, José Mariano García de León y Vicente de UmaránArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decree Number 1

The Sovereign Constituent Congress of the Free State of Guanajuato is legitimately installed, and the current Political Head of the Province of Guanajauto is authorized as Interim Governor of the State, to exercise the functions of the Executive Power.

Decreto de reconocimiento del Estado sobre la soberania e independencia de su Congreso (1824) by José María de Septiem y Monteros, José Mariano García de León y Vicente de UmaránArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decree Number 2

The Sovereign Constituent Congress of the State decrees that all the authorities, civil, military, ecclesiastical and employees of this State, will publicly recognize the sovereignty and independence of its Congress and will take an oath to obey and enforce its laws, orders and decrees.

Decreto sobre Poder Ejecutivo del Estado (1824) by José María de Septiem y Monteros, José Mariano García de León y Vicente de UmaránArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decree Number 5

Relating to the fact that the Executive Power of the State will reside in a single individual and will have for its exercise a Lieutenant Governor and four Councilors.

Decreto sobre la Congregación de Dolores (1824) by José María de Septiem y Monteros, José Mariano García de León y Vicente de UmaránArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decree Number 6

The Constituent Congress of the State decrees that the Congregation of Dolores, preserving the name of its owner, be held and recognized as Villa de Hidalgo.

Decreto sobre establecer un Tribunal Supremo de Justicia en el Estado (1824) by José María de Septiem y Monteros, José Mariano García de León y Vicente de UmaránArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decree Number 10

The Sovereign Congress of the State decrees through Manual Galván, President, that a Supreme Court of Justice be established in the State, whose territory will be the same as what was previously called the Province of Guanajuato.

Reglamento para el arreglo interior de la Secretaría de la Gobernación del Estado de Guanajuato (1824) by Secretaría de la Gobernación del Estado de GuanajuatoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Regulation for the internal arrangement of the Secretariat of the Interior of the State of Guanajuato, approved by the Constituent Congress in session of August 3, 1824.

Article number 3, on the control of archive documents, stands out.

In article 15, the figure of the Archivist Officer appears, who will be in charge of the entire archive of the Secretary and will have a clerk to support the archive. The annual salary of the Archiving Officer was 500 pesos and of the Clerk 300 pesos, with respect to the salary of the Secretary of 1,800 pesos.

Comunicado de la primera Secretaría de Estado, Sección Gobierno, a través de Juan Guzman (1824) by Secretaría de la Gobernación del Estado de GuanajuatoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

The first Secretary of State, Government Section, through Juan Guzman, communicates:

The General Constituent Congress decreed that having qualified the elections of President Vicente Guerrero and Vice-President Nicolás Bravo made by the legislatures: Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas, both will present an oath to the Constitution.

Decreto sobre Archivos (1824) by José María Esquivel y Salvágo, Domingo Chico y José Tiburcio IncapiéArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decree Number 17

The Constituent Congress of the Free, Sovereign and Independent State of Guanajuato, attentive to avoiding faults and remedying abuses, which as a public necessity is to fix the archives of the towns where the lack of notaries and the diverse management of judges, It is causing the records, deeds and records of all kinds not to be found together or well kept, giving rise to loss, deception and falsehoods. The files are in charge of the Notaries and, where appropriate, the Secretaries of each City Council, and they must form an exact inventory of how many papers exist.

Decreto sobre Archivos (1824) by José María Esquivel y Salvágo, Domingo Chico y José Tiburcio IncapiéArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Constitución Política del Estado libre de Guanajuato (1826) by Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Political Constitution of the Free State of Guanajuato, sanctioned by its Constituent Congress on April 14, 1826.

Constitución Política del Estado libre de Guanajuato (1826) by Congreso ConstituyenteArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Soneto en Honor a Ignacio Allende y Unzaga. (1821) by UnknownArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Sonnet in Honor of Ignacio Allende and Unzaga

These watercolor drawings are part of The decree was issued by the provisional republican government, in which Miguel Hidalgo, Juan Aldama, Mariano Abasolo, José María Morelos, Mariano Matamoros, Leonardo and Miguel Bravo were declared “Meritorious in Heroic Degree”. Hermenegildo Galeana, José Mariano Jiménez, Francisco Javier Mina, Pedro Moreno and Víctor Rosales, ordered that the venerable remains of these characters be rescued from the places where they were deposited and were transferred, with honors and circumstances according to their recently declared heroic quality, to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City.

Octava en Honor a Ignacio Allende y Unzaga. (1821) by UnknownArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Song in Honor of Ignacio Allende and Unzaga

The splendid illustrations that accompany the poetic compositions that were hastily composed for the occasion, are full of naivety and patriotism of the time.

Octava en Honor al Padre de la Patria (don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla). (1821) by UnknownArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Song in Honor of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Its invoice is precious and careful, the product of the hand of a San Miguel artist.

Mapa del estado de Oaxaca (1884) by Colección Cartográfica Antonio García CubasArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Comunicado del comandante del Ejercito Libertador, Nicolás Bravo al Señor Comandante General de la Provincia de Oaxaca. (1823) by Nicolás BravoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Nicolás Bravo, Commander of the operations division of the Liberation Army, informs the General Commander of the Province of Oaxaca that he has sent ten copies of the statement to the army, in order to support the necessary unity and tranquility, so that the Nation can see constituted under the liberal system.

Comunicado de Juan Acevedo al Comandante General, Sr. Coronel Don Antonio de León, sobre la toma de armas en el pueblo de Huajuapan (1823) by Juan AcevedoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Juan Acevedo, communicates to the General Commander, Mr. Colonel Don Antonio de León, that he has taken up the arms that protect the town of Huajuapan and is aware of the documents sent by the Provincial Board, that the province of Oaxaca was constituted as a Republic Federated and Independent.

Comunicado de Juan Acevedo al Comandante General, Sr. Coronel Don Antonio de León, sobre la toma de armas en el pueblo de Huajuapan (1823) by Juan AcevedoArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Decreto relativo a las elecciones parroquiales de departamento y del estado, (1824) by José Ignacio MoralesArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

C. José Ignacio Morales, Governor of the Free State of Oaxaca, issues a decree on parish, Department and State elections, in order to appoint the Deputies and Senators, who will constitute the two Chambers of the State Congress.

Decreto relativo a las elecciones parroquiales de departamento y del estado, (1824) by José Ignacio MoralesArchivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Credits: Story

Check the second part at: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/rAUBCDIISFLgwQ?curator=true&hl=es-MX

General Archive of the Nation:
AGN, Instituciones gubernamentales época moderna y contemporánea, Colecciones, Fondo reservado de la bóveda seguridad, Antecedentes constitucionales.
AGN, MAPILU, Registro 4979
AGN, Colección Centro de Información Gráfica.
https://www.gob.mx/agn

General Archive of the State of Oaxaca:
Fondo: Gobierno, Sección: Secretaría del Despacho, Serie: Leyes y decretos, Año: 1824 Expediente: 4, Fojas: 4, Caja: 16.
Fondo: Milicia, Sección: Administrativa, Serie: Correspondencia, Año: 1823, Expediente: 1
Fojas: 1, Caja: 27.
Fondo: Milicia, Sección: Administrativa, Serie: Correspondencia, Año: 1823, Expediente: 1, Fojas: 2, Caja: 28.
https://www.oaxaca.gob.mx/ageo/

General Archive of the Poder Ejecutivo de Guanajuato:
Fondo: Colecciones Documentales del Archivo Histórico, Sección: Colección Héroes de la Independencia, CDAH/CHI/Archivero 1, Cajón 3, E 13.
Fondo: Colecciones Documentales del Archivo Histórico, Sección: Colección Héroes de la Independencia, CDAH/CHI/Archivero 1, Cajón 3, E 14.
Fondo: Colecciones Documentales del Archivo Histórico, Sección: Colección Héroes de la Independencia, CDAH/CHI/Archivero 1, Cajón 3, E 15.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Elecciones, SG/1. Caja 5, Expediente 1.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Sección: Ministerios, Serie: Correspondencia, SG/2.1/ Caja 2,Expediente 4 (3).
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Decretos, SG/1.7.1/ Caja 1, Carpeta. 3, Expediente 1.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Decretos, SG/1.7.1/ Caja 1, Carpeta. 3, Expediente 2.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Decretos, SG/1.7.1/ Caja 1, Carpeta. 3, Expediente 5.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Decretos, SG/1.7.1/ Caja 1, Carpeta. 3, Expediente 6.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Decretos, SG/ 1.7.1/Caja 1, Expediente 3.
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Sección: Ministerios, Serie: Correspondencia, SG/2.1/ Caja 2,Expediente 4 (16).
Fondo: Secretaria de Gobierno, Serie: Decretos, SG/1.7.1.//Caja 1, Carpeta 3, Expediente 17.
Fondo: Colecciones Documentales del Archivo Histórico, Sección: Colección Impresos Textuales, CDAH/CIT/A. 2, Cajón 1, E 9.
https://sic.cultura.gob.mx/ficha.php?table=archivo&table_id=385

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

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Frida Kahlo's Teaching Contract

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

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Process for making a common bread

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Online Exhibit

Benito Juárez's meal two days before his death.

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Online Exhibit

Map of Luzon, Philippines Following A Volcano Eruption

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Online Exhibit

The Birth of the States of the Mexican Republic Part I

In 1821, the Mexican government declared independence from Spain and adopted an Imperial model of governance that didn't last long. In less than a year after the coronation of Agustin I, it was decided that Mexico would become a federal republic constituted by free states.

General Archive of the Nation

Constitutive Act of the Federation

General Archive of the Poder Ejecutivo de Guanajuato

Decree Number 1

Decree Number 2

Decree Number 5

Decree Number 6

Decree Number 10

Decree Number 17

Sonnet in Honor of Ignacio Allende and Unzaga

Song in Honor of Ignacio Allende and Unzaga

Song in Honor of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Frida Kahlo's Teaching Contract

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Process for making a common bread

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Benito Juárez's meal two days before his death.

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Map of Luzon, Philippines Following A Volcano Eruption

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Expenses and kitchen notes of the Lord's house President of the Republic Don Benito Juárez

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

MÉXICO 68: LA OLIMPIADA CULTURAL O EL ESTADO DEL ARTE

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Emiliano Zapata: A Symbol of Struggle

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Learn how cooking recipes gave national identity to Mexican cuisine

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Genealogía de Diego de Mendoza Austria Moctezuma

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico

Beyond the Games: The Art of the 1968 Mexico Olympics

Archivo General de la Nación - Mexico