The Divine Charter: Constitutionalism and Liberalism in Nineteenth-Century Mexico

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Although Mexico began its national life in the 1821 as one of the most liberal democracies in the world, it ended the century with an authoritarian regime. Examining this defining process, distinguished historians focus on the evolution of Mexican liberalism from the perspectives of politics, the military, the Church, and the economy. Based on extensive archival research, the chapters demonstrate thatdespite widely held assumptionsliberalism was not an alien ideology unsuited to Mexico's traditional, conservative, and multiethnic society. On the contrary, liberalism in New Spain arose from Hispanic culture, which drew upon a shared European tradition reaching back to ancient Greece.

This volume provides the first systematic exploration of the evolution of Mexican liberal traditions in the nineteenth century. The chapters assess the changes in liberal ideology, the nature of federalism, efforts to create stability with a liberal monarchy in the 1860s, the Church's accommodation to the new liberal order, the role of the army and of the civil militias, the liberal tax system, and attempts to modernize the economy in the latter part of the century. Taken together, these essays provide a nuanced and comprehensive analysis of the transformation of liberalism in Mexico.

Contributions by: Christon I. Archer, William H. Beezley, Marcello Carmagnani, Manuel Chust, Brian Connaughton, Robert H. Duncan, Aldo Flores-Quiroga, Alicia Hernndez Chvez, Sandra Kuntz Ficker, Andrs Resndez, Jaime E. Rodrguez O., and Jos Antonio Serrano Ortega

Reviews

This collection will be important for specialists in Mexican political thought and in graduate seminars where future scholars will be honed. Highly Recommended. * Choice Reviews *
The Divine Charter is a collection of solid, interesting articles. * Journal of Latin American Studies *
The Divine Charter is a vital addition to our knowledge of Mexican history. With innovative contributions on a variety of key themes, the volume is a great aid to understanding the interplay between institutions, politics, and economic policy over the whole course of Mexico's tumultuous nineteenth century. -- Peter Guardino, Indiana University

Author Bio

Jaime E. Rodrguez O. is professor of history and director of Latin American studies at the University of California, Irvine.