Second Mexican Empire: Map & History
The Second Mexican Empire, officially known as the Mexican Empire, was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists with the support of the Second French Empire.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Second Mexican Empire, officially known as the Mexican Empire, was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists with the support of the Second French Empire. This period is often referred to as the Second French intervention in Mexico. The French Emperor, Napoleon III, with backing from Mexican conservatives, the clergy, and nobility, aimed to establish a monarchist ally in the Americas as a counterbalance to the growing power of the United States.
Modern Countries Once Part of Second Mexican Empire
At its mapped extent, Second Mexican Empire covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
- Sonora, Mexico
- Veracruz, Mexico
- Chihuahua, Mexico
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Tamaulipas, Mexico
- Yucatán, Mexico
- Coahuila, Mexico
- Guerrero, Mexico
- Sinaloa, Mexico
- Michoacán, Mexico
- San Luis Potosí, Mexico
- Baja California, Mexico
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Chiapas, Mexico
- Durango, Mexico
- Guanajuato, Mexico
- Nayarit, Mexico
- Puebla, Mexico
- Texas, United States
- Zacatecas, Mexico
- Nuevo León, Mexico
- Tabasco, Mexico
- Quintana Roo, Mexico
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Second Mexican Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Second Mexican Empire in Depth
History
Post-independence Mexico was briefly a monarchy, lasting just over a year, when the emperor abdicated and went into exile, and a federated republic was established in 1824. The idea of monarchy persisted and in 1861, Mexican conservatives and emperor Napoleon III of France brokered a deal to create a new monarchy in Mexico, with Archduke Maximilian agreeing to become emperor, with the military and financial backing of France. The French army ousted Mexican President Benito Juárez from the capital and Maximilian and his wife Carlota arrived in Mexico in 1864. The regime lasted so long as French troops and money supported it but rapidly fell once Napoleon III withdrew that aid.
Government
A provisional statute was published in 1865, which laid the basic framework of the government. The emperor was to govern through nine ministries: of the Imperial Household, of State, of Foreign Relations, of War, of Government or Interior, of the Treasury, of Justice, of Public Instruction and Worship, and of Development. These ministries (except that of the Imperial Household) comprised the Council of Ministers, which discussed the affairs that the emperor referred to them. The emperor had the power to appoint the Minister of the Imperial Household and the Minister of State, and in turn, the Minister of State, which was ex officio the President of the Council of Ministers, was to appoint the rest of the Ministers.
Economy
One of the main challenges encountered by the Emperor was the lack of sufficient infrastructure to link the different parts of the realm. The main goal was connecting the port of Veracruz and the capital in Mexico City. In 1857, Don Antonio Escandón secured the right to build a line from the port of Veracruz to Mexico City and on to the Pacific Ocean. Revolution and political instability stifled progress on the financing or construction of the line until 1864, when, under the regime of Emperor Maximilian, the Imperial Mexican Railway Company began construction of the line. Political upheaval continued to stifle progress, and the initial segment from Veracruz to Mexico City was inaugurated nine years later on 1 January 1873 by President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.
Legacy
In spite of the Empire lasting only a few years, the results of Maximilian's construction projects survived him and remain prominent Mexico City landmarks in the present day.
For his royal residence, Maximilian decided to renovate a former viceregal villa in Mexico City, which was also notable for being the site of a battle during the U.S. invasion of Mexico. The result would be Chapultepec Castle, the only castle in North America ever to be used by a monarch.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Second Mexican Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Second Mexican Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Mexico City |
|---|---|
| Official language | Spanish |
| Religion | Catholic Church |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Currency | peso |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Dissolved | 1867 |
Preceded by
- Second Federal Republic of Mexico
Succeeded by
- Restored Republic
Facts from Wikidata Q371334 (CC0).
Second Mexican Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Second Mexican Empire exist?
The Second Mexican Empire is dated to 1865 CE – 1867 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Second Mexican Empire?
The capital of the Second Mexican Empire was Mexico City.
How large was the Second Mexican Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1865 the Second Mexican Empire covered about 2,006,419 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad