Knowra Mexican nationalism Mexican nationalism Mexican nationalism is political identification with Mexico’s sovereignty, territory, and national community. Its forms have changed through independence, state-building, revolution, and debates over Indigenous identity and foreign influence.
Mexican War of Independence : An armed struggle from 1810 to 1821 that ended Spanish rule and established Mexico as an independent nation. The independence struggle turned opposition to Spanish rule into a claim to Mexican sovereignty.
Mexican Revolution : An armed conflict beginning in 1910 that dismantled the Porfirian regime and led to major political and social reforms. Its social demands reshaped the state’s account of who belonged to the nation.
Mestizaje : The process and ideology of racial and cultural mixture, especially in Latin American societies. Mexican nationalism has often presented mestizaje as the foundation of a unified people.
French intervention in Mexico : A French military intervention from 1862 to 1867 that installed Maximilian I as emperor of Mexico. Resistance to the imposed monarchy made defense of sovereignty a central nationalist theme.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla : A Catholic priest whose 1810 uprising helped launch Mexico’s war of independence from Spain. His call to rebellion became an enduring symbol of popular independence.
Mexican Constitution of 1917 : Mexico’s constitution, adopted in 1917, establishing a federal republic and provisions on land, labor, and education. Its reforms gave sovereignty and social rights constitutional expression.
Indigenous peoples of Mexico : The diverse peoples in Mexico with distinct Indigenous languages, histories, and cultural traditions. Their languages and political claims challenge accounts of national unity based on cultural sameness.
Porfiriato : The period of Porfirio Díaz’s rule in Mexico, from 1876 to 1911, marked by centralized government and rapid economic modernization. Its modernization and foreign investment became targets of revolutionary nationalist criticism.
Plan of Iguala : A 1821 political program that proposed an independent Mexican constitutional monarchy and three guarantees: religion, independence, and union. Its guarantees framed independence as a union of distinct social groups.
Institutional Revolutionary Party : A Mexican political party that governed nationally from 1929 to 2000, presenting itself as heir to the revolution. For decades, the ruling party used revolutionary nationalism to legitimize political authority.
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