Mexico's break up: Mexico City's misconceptions and mismanagement of its peripeheries: Central America and Texas, 1821-1836

In 1822, Mexico's boundaries held the territories of what is now Central America and Texas. Just after independence from Spain, it seemed Mexico would emerge as a powerful nation to challenge the United States in North America due to Mexico's vast lands and mineral wealth. That did not transpire. Political struggle in Mexico City and challenges from its peripheries undermined Mexico's political and economic stability. Central Americans chose to detach from Mexico in 1823 due to ideological differences based on colonial traditions, differences in the ethnic makeup of the populations of Central America and the Mexican plateau, and a shift to federalist authority. Anglo-Americans in Texas proclaimed the separation of that territory in 1836 due to radical Anglo-American filibusters and the shift to centralized authority in Mexico City. Essentially, Mexican leaders mishandled their control of Mexico's peripheries based on misconceptions and confusion created by the evolving political paradigms throughout the region. Though different circumstances caused both separatist movements, analyzing both movements furthers the understanding of the changing relationship between Mexico City and its peripheries.