Mexican War of Independence ends

Today in Masonic history the Mexican War of Independence ends in 1821.

The Mexican War of Independence ended when Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu or Agustin I of Mexico entered Mexico City with his army.

Shortly after the end of the war Agustin I was named Emperor of Mexico. His reign was short lived. He served just under a year before abdicating his position. During his short reign he is credited with designing the Mexican flag.

The events that were occurring around the forming of the new government of Mexico had strong ties to the Masonic fraternity.

On one side you had Conservatives who followed the Scottish Rite, which was closely tied with the Jacobite movement from England. At the Time of the Mexican War of Independence many Jacobite's found themselves as expatriates living in France. The Scottish Rite leaning masons were referred to as Escoceses.

On the other side you had Liberals who followed the York Rite, which is Masonry as practiced in England, Scotland and the United States. Referred to as Yorkinos.

At the root of the divide between the Yorkinos and the Escoceses was how the country would one day be run. The Yorkinos wanted to see a more democratic form of government and the Escoceses wanted to see a more heavy handed approach to government.

These two methods of masonry became political movements in Mexico as liberals and conservatives picked which method of Masonry they were going to follow. The Escoceses being the more established version of masonry, the first York lodges did not come to Mexico until 1824, they held control of the political power as masonry became more and more involved in the politics of the time. This was in part because most prominent Mexicans were joining the Scottish Rite Lodges. In an attempt to gain power Liberals began joining the York Rite Lodges.

Eventually a civil war broke out with the York Rite on one side and the Scottish Rite on the other. This became an armed conflict with mason taking up arms against mason.

By 1831 the battle was over and eventually the Yorkinos and Escoceses would resolve their differences and come back together. By that time, Masonry had become less of a force in Mexican politics.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.