Mexico’s struggle for independence was as much a series of civil wars and failed social revolutions as it was a war to separate Mexico from Spain. Some Mexicans fought to bring profound social change to the country, some to achieve autonomy, some for vengeance or booty, still others to maintain the status quo. After ten years of bloodletting, Mexico achieved its independence through a strange political compromise that resolved none of the severe problems that plagued the country.

 

In The Mexican Wars for Independence, the historian Timothy J. Henderson provides a comprehensive, dynamic, and insightful account of the era, and in the process deftly shows why the revolution failed to bring about meaningful and sorely needed reform. Tracing the conflict from its ambitious beginning in 1810 to the country’s independence in 1821, The Mexican Wars for Independence makes sense of the complex and ambiguous conflict and its legacy, and, in so doing, forces a reconsideration of what “independence” meant and means for Mexico today.

Praise

“Well-balanced and clearly argued ... Timothy J. Henderson points out in this slender but cogent study of a period seldom studied by U.S. citizens that Mexico's deeper struggle has always been with itself ... Henderson does a splendid job of unraveling the factions and cabals as they rose, formed alliances with one another, or faded into obscurity.” —Clay Reynolds, The Dallas Morning News

 

“Timothy Henderson has a gift for writing history. The individuals, the battles, and the results remain the same, but his narrative has a fresh, exciting quality. His engrossing history will hold the attention of undergraduate students and grizzled experts. He has written the best short history available.” —William H. Beezley, Professor of History, University of Arizona

 

“This is a comprehensive and thorough treatment, even-handed and crisply written. Highly recommended.” —Timothy E. Anna, Distinguished Professor of History, University of Manitoba

About the Author(s)

Timothy J. Henderson

Timothy J. Henderson is a professor of history at Auburn University Montgomery and the author of several books on Mexican history, including A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States (H&W, 2007).

Excerpt

Chapter One

 

The Colony

 

In the year 1623, so the story goes, a man in the dusty village of San Juan de los Lagos in western Mexico was teaching hisyoung daughters to do acrobatic tricks on the trapeze. To make the show more compelling, he had the girls perform the tricks above several swords affixed in the earth and pointing menacingly toward the heavens.

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