The Constitution of Apatzingán, formally ''Decreto Constitucional para la Libertad de la América Mexicana'' ("Constitutional Decree for the Liberty of Mexican America"), was promulgated on October 22, 1814 by the
Congress of Anahuac gathered in the city of
Apatzingán
Apatzingán (in full, Apatzingán de la Constitución) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Apatzingán in the west-central region of the Mexican state of Michoacán.
Geography
The Municipality of Apatzingán is located in the Ti ...
because of the persecution of the troops of
Félix María Calleja
Felix may refer to:
* Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name
Places
* Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen
* Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
. The constitution was valid for insurgent forces in the territories that it controlled during the
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
.
Background
After the death of the
Roman Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
and revolutionary leader,
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Don (honorific), Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader ...
, on June 28, 1813,
José María Morelos
José María Teclo Morelos Pérez y Pavón () (30 September 1765 – 22 December 1815) was a Mexican Catholic priest, statesman and military leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of ...
from
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
made a call to create a Congress in September in the city of
Chilpancingo
Chilpancingo de los Bravo (commonly shortened to Chilpancingo; ; Nahuatl: Chilpantsinko) is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Guerrero, Mexico. In 2010 it had a population of 187,251 people. The municipality has an area of in ...
(now in the state of
Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
), whose purpose was to create an independent government. Proclaimed as ''Supreme National Congress'', was installed on September 14, 1813; that same day Morelos announced to the Assembly a program called
Sentimientos de la Nación
''Sentimientos de la Nación'' ("Feelings of the Nation"; occasionally rendered as "Sentiments of the Nation") was a document presented by José María Morelos y Pavón, leader of the insurgents in the Mexican War of Independence, to the National ...
, in which was declared the independence of the Mexican America and establish a government of popular representation with division of powers, forbade slavery and the division of population into castes. On 6 November, same year, the Congress signed the first official document of independence, known as the
.
Content
Constitution of Apatzingán was composed of 2 titles and 242 articles, was based on the same principles that the
Constitution of Cádiz
The Political Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy ( es, link=no, Constitución Política de la Monarquía Española), also known as the Constitution of Cádiz ( es, link=no, Constitución de Cádiz) and as ''La Pepa'', was the first Constituti ...
but in a modified form, as opposed to the Spanish constitution, provided the establishment of the
republican system of government. The most relevant articles were:
:1. The
Catholic, apostolic and Roman religion, is the only to be profess by the State
:2. The power to make laws and establish the form of government that best serves the interests of society, is the sovereignty.
:5. Therefore, the sovereignty resides originally in the people, and its exercise in the national representation composed of deputies elected by the citizens in the form prescribed by the constitution.
:12. These three powers, legislative, executive and judicial, must not be exercised not by one person, or by a single corporation.
:13. Are deemed
citizens of this America all born here.
:19. The law must be equal for all...
:30. Every citizen is deemed innocent until declared guilty.
:42. (The provinces of the Mexican America): Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Oaxaca, Técpan, Michoacán, Queretaro, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Potosí, Zacatecas, Durango, Sonora, Coahuila and Nuevo Reino de Leon.
The Supreme Government, (Executive), was composed of three persons, they would have equal authority and responsibility; same as the government would exercise as an alternative every four months. Their most direct authority, in addition to the executive and administrative nature, were to ensure the protection of the rights of citizens: liberty, property, equality and security. The Supreme Government would be exercised by José María Cos, José María Liceaga and José María Morelos.
The Constitution of Apatzingán never really entered into force. Almost a year after it was enacted, his inspiring, José María Morelos y Pavón was imprisoned and was shot on December 22, 1815. So temporary, the royalist troops returned to take control of most of the country, but ultimately could not prevent the ''Mexican America'' independence were to be consummated, first as the
Mexican Empire Mexican Empire may refer to:
* First Mexican Empire, the regime under Agustín de Iturbide (Agustín I) from 1821 to 1823
* Second Mexican Empire
The Second Mexican Empire (), officially the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy est ...
that later became the
United Mexican States
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
See also
*
Congress of Chilpancingo
The Congress of Chilpancingo ( es, Congreso de Chilpancingo), also known as the Congress of Anáhuac, was the first, independent congress that replaced the Assembly of Zitácuaro, formally declaring itself independent from the Spanish crown. It w ...
*
*
Constitutions of Mexico
Since declaring independence in 1821, Mexico has adopted a number of constitutions or other documents of basic law with constitutional effects. Not all these can be considered constitutions, and not all of them enjoyed universal application. Those ...
*
Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824
*
Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857 ( es, Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1857), often called simply the Constitution of 1857, was the liberal constitution promulgated in 1857 by Constituent Cong ...
*
Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917 (''currently in force'')
*
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
*
Jose Maria Morelos
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
* Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galile ...
*
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Don (honorific), Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader ...
*
History of democracy in Mexico
The history of democracy in Mexico dates to the establishment of the federal republic of Mexico in 1824. After a long history under the Spanish Empire (1521–1821), Mexico gained its independence in 1821 and became the First Mexican Empire l ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constitution of Apatzingan
Constitutions of Mexico
Mexican War of Independence
Constitution of Mexico
The Constitution of Mexico, formally the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States ( es, Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the current constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in th ...
Defunct constitutions
Independent Mexico
Legal history of Mexico
1814 documents