Was the Republic of the Rio Grande a genuine attempt at creating a new nation, similar to the Republic of Texas, or was it merely an internal rebellion aimed at opposing the Centralist government of Santa Anna?
Flags of the World quotes a Mexican historian in saying that it was the latter and not the former:
And this thread from Reddit which cites the same article:
So, did a Serbian Texan make the whole alt-hist notion up?
And in general, was there any chance for any of the states of Mexico to really go independent like Texas did? To be honest I'm starting to think no, most would have been content to have been reabsorbed into a loose federal federation not under Santa Anna, it would seem.
Flags of the World quotes a Mexican historian in saying that it was the latter and not the former:
One of the most serious, impartial, and professional Mexican Historians is Josefina Zoraida Vázquez. She has been deeply dedicated to study the 1846-1848 United States invasion to Mexico, its origins and consequences. The Historian published and article entitled: La supuesta República del Río Grande (The supposed Republic of the Rio Grande) in Historia Mexicana, vol. XXXVI, July-Sempt. 1986, number 141.
According to her, the supposed Republic was but
"an invention" and a "radical federalist movement of the north of Tamaulipas which could stood only for two years and was considered as separatist only for undermining it (...) "The idea was born from letters sent to Texan newspapers as a true wishful thinking. Such letters were found by US Historian Herbert Howe Bancroft who accepted the information as veridical. Hence the history has been repeated until now (...) "Between 1839-1840, it [the Republic of the Rio Grande] was a constant topic in Texan newspapers and those from New Orleans. Once the movement was settled down, it revived with the US occupation of Matamoros in 1846. No less, one of the newspapers founded by the US-invading troops was named after the Republic, which did not hide its intentions to support the region's independence [from Mexico]".
In fact, again quoted to Ms. Vázquez, the supposed Republic of the Rio Grande was to be originally named Repúblic Norte Mexicana [Northern-Mexican Republic], this is Ms. Vázquez quoting The Louisianan of Aug. 13, 1839:
"The Texians might thus, at little cost and in few months raise an impassable barrier between themselves and Mexico and give birth to a new federative republic... la República Norte Mexicana."
Ms. Vázquez, reproduces the following document, so called decree, that dates to January 23, 1840, and states four articles:
"1.º La convención no reconoce autoridad legítima sobre la República Mexicana al presente gobierno de México.
2.º Hasta que un sistema de gobierno no sea determinado por una convención de todos los estados de México, 'los habitantes de la frontera de la República Mexicana' no cesarán de luchar contra el presente gobierno de México.
3.º Se establece un gobierno provisional de la frontera norte compuesto de un presidente y un consejo de cinco miembros propietario y tres suplentes.
4.º Se autoriza al gobierno provisional a organizar un ejército y armada para hacer la guerra."
Thus, the Mexican Historian concludes:
"There is no doubt that the idea of the Republica del Río Grande would be born among the Texans and their partisans as a defense system to protect their weak republic. After the US overwhelming invation to Mexico which could see its ambitions to expand all over the Sierra Madre frustrated, the old idea would reborn in the shape of a Republic of the Sierra Madre, then into a Republic of the Sierra Gorda, where existed a indigenous uprising that could be used for that purpose."
And this thread from Reddit which cites the same article:
Nope never existed, there was a federalist rebellion in las villas del norte (What it is now Northern Tamaulipas and Southern Texas) but they never declared independence and their intention was to restore the constitution of 1824 and the history of the republic of the rio grande has been based upon reports in Texas newspapers, without any documentary proof. Also, as I said before the river in Mexico is called "el rio bravo" so that name for a republic makes no sense whatsoever.
There were plenty of federalist rebellions back then, the intention wasn't to become independent, it was to restore the constitution of 1824.
The name of the river was not standardized for quite a while, and was called many things by different people even along different parts of the River.
We know that the rebels called the river Rio Bravo, even their newspaper was called "Correo del Rio Bravo". The name Republic of the Rio Grande was neer used by the rebels, it was coined by a serbian immigrant (George Fisher) in a letter to the Texan newspaper "The Morning Star".
So, did a Serbian Texan make the whole alt-hist notion up?
And in general, was there any chance for any of the states of Mexico to really go independent like Texas did? To be honest I'm starting to think no, most would have been content to have been reabsorbed into a loose federal federation not under Santa Anna, it would seem.