alternatehistory.com

Rise of Emperor Antonio the first of the Second Mexican Empire
(Just playing around, it's very cliché I believe)
------------------------------------------------------------

In April 1853, Santa Anna was invited back by rebellious conservatives, with whom he succeeded in retaking the government.

On July 21, 1853 Santa Anna was crowned Emperor Antonio the first of the Second Mexican Empire (on the 51st anniversary of the first one), the 1853 constitution had elements pleasing to the conservatives and appeasing somewhat the liberals.

Many liberal laws protected individual rights, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and the right to bear arms; Eliminated debtor prison, limitation of cruel punishment especially the death penalty.

The conservatives obtained the creation of the nobility of Empire but with little real privileges, while the Church was maintained in its existing rights.

The liberals most argued dispositions were the informal reinstatement of slavery (The "Decree of Abolition of Slavery" of September 15, 1829 was never ratified), and the power of the church and nobility.

The state structure was changed to a more centralized form (state governors directly appointed by the Emperor, many states were divided), the Congress included an upper chamber elected by the nobility and a lower chamber elected by the people. Many structural aspects of the new Empire were inspired by the French and British Empires.

This early reign was much better than his earlier ones as he united the mexican people under the idea of regaining the northern territories lost during the Mexican-American war (1846-1848).

On February 2nd, 1854 (six years after the signature of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with the USA), the Emperor sent an ultimatum to the USA, either they would return the lands of Upper California and New Mexico, or pay $30 million (thereby more than doubling the initial payment).

On March 3rd, 1854 the USA Senate ratified the “Decree of Reparation” giving the Mexican Empire 10 million a year for three years, on the condition of border modifications to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to include lands south for the southern railway (similar to OTL Gadsden Purchase).

As most of the money was used for the army, the nobility, the church and the Emperor himself, the Mexican people were both dissatisfied by what was felt like a second cession.
The rebellion sprung on January 1857 when the Emperor raised taxes once the USA money stopped flowing.

By February 1857 the Second Republic of the Rio Grande (former states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas), the Republic of Greater Sonora (former Baja California, Chihuahua and Sonora) and the states of Yucatan, Tabasco and Chiapas declared independence, the three latter joining the Central American League (loose confederation created in 1856 as a limited resurgence of the former United Provinces of Central America).

In April 1857 Benito Juarez managed a coup and declared the Mexican Federation, the Emperor fled to Cuba and offers the repayment of debts in exchange for European troops, while loyal forces fought against Juarez.

In August 1857 as the mainly French troops arrived with the Mexican Emperor, the Northern rebelled states asked for annexation by the USA with guarantees regarding the Spanish language.

By March 1859 Juarez’s troops had lost control of the main parts of the Mexican Federation and Antonio the first reclaimed his thrown. As he was then flanked by the USA troops in the North and CAL troops in the south he was urged by France to break a deal.

By August 1859 the Emperor recognized the annexation of Rio Grande and Greater Sonora and sold the Tehuantepec state to the USA for theoretically $120 million. Of the 120, 30 were considered already paid in 1854, 40 would be paid directly to France the remaining 50 would be paid during the next five years at the rate of 10 million per year.

No treaties settle the issues with the CAL but the Emperor troops have enough trouble stabilizing the core of the Empire to bother with lands east of the Tehuantepec isthmus.

In the USA the newly annexed states are disbanded into territories and later reorganized; in 1861 Abraham Lincoln passes a federal law banning slavery from territories and newly created states, this first step to emancipation puts the USA in a certain turmoil, but leads to a progressive bane of slavery in the next 40 years even slave states one at a time.
Top