Customer Reviews

The Mexican Wars for Independence

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Henderson does a terrific job here. His work fits nicely into a current trend in academic writing to produce SHORT, INCISIVE works that cover the territory and then close. His review of the Mexican experience of separation from the Spanish empire in the early 19th century is all ground oft trod by others. What is particularly good about his work is that he manages to create incisive snapshots of the people and the events of the time without the need blither on ad nauseum to cover every possible academic contingency. I have read much about the era and its events. I do not think I have ever read so sharp a description of Father Hidalgo y Costilla as I have seen here. Nor have I been so impressed with the geographic realities of the revolutionary period (how wide spread geographically it was!) or with the fact that despite some three centuries of Spanish control of Mexico so very, very little has changed from, say, the first fifty years after the conquest. The Indians are still a despised and wretched minority. The creoles are still loathed by the peninsular Spaniards as being, by definition, inferior to anyone coming from Spain. The fundamental structure of the society, in short, is PRECISELY what it has been for nearly three centuries.

Henderson does a good job with the Peninsular situation as well. Without dragging on too far he gives us a good summary of the misery and confusion of Spain in the grip of the Napoleonic wars and under the heel of monumentally bad leadership in the persons of Carlos IV and Felipe VII. The confused morass of issues in Spain are reflected on the American side of the water with an equal mess of those who support the monarch, those who hate Spain but believe in the monarchy, those who will do anything to break with Spain, and those who will do whatever it takes to preserve their own hide no matter whom they condemen and doublecross.

This is a good read, a good summary, a good analysis. Look at the Mexico of today. Trace its roots to the early 1800's. A nexus will not be hard to establish.

Mexico's struggle for independence was a series of civil wars and failed social revolts: some Mexicans fought to bring about social change, some for revenge, others for loot. Despite the many purposes behind ten years of fighting, Mexico achieved its independence through a strange political compromise - detailed here in The Mexican Wars for Independence, a key acquisition for any library strong in American history or world military history.

Before reading this book, I would not have come up with the correct answer to the above question even if given a dozen tries. That is how shamefully great my ignorance is of the history of Mexico. Twice I have tried to read general histories of Mexico, but I found them unsatisfactory. As the title reveals, THE MEXICAN WARS OF INDEPENDENCE is not a general history of Mexico, but instead focuses on the period 1810-1821, during which various groups of Mexicans waged rebellions against those who claimed to be exercising authority in the name of Spain. For author Henderson, the plural "wars" is intentional, inasmuch as he sees no overarching ideological or political project. Rather, the insurrections were conducted "for a wide variety of reasons, most of which responded to very local and even personal concerns."

As Henderson states, THE MEXICAN WARS OF INDEPENDENCE does not contain any new historical theories or scholarship. Rather, it is a work of synthesis, an attempt to present "existing knowledge [in] a relatively brief and readable account for general readers." The result is indeed "relatively" brief and readable. The book is decently organized, but it is not of the first rank of popular history nor is the writing particularly sparkling. Still, it is successful at least to the extent that I was able to finish it and I will not feel a need to read any other book on the subject. Plus, I can now answer the above question.

By coincidence, my reading THE MEXICAN WARS OF INDEPENDENCE when I did turns out to be quite timely. Why? Because the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican War(s) of Independence is nigh. In the case of the American Revolution, most people probably would name April 19, 1775 (the date of the Battle of Lexington and Concord) as the start-date, but there are several other plausible candidates. With the Mexican Revolution, however, the consensus start-date appears to be virtually unanimous - namely, September 16, 1810, when a priest popularly known as Hidalgo declared independence in front of a rabble of about 600 in the center of the small town of Dolores.

As I read THE MEXICAN WARS OF INDEPENDENCE I found myself noting all sorts of comparisons to the American Revolution. The birth of the United States was by no means a swift or easy delivery, but for Mexico the process of nationhood has been inordinately more protracted and difficult. The book mentions or alludes to a number of factors that arguably contribute to those markedly different arcs. Two other factors not specifically mentioned but hinted at have to do with the leaders of the respective revolutions and the two different "mother" countries. The three great leaders or heroes of the Mexican Revolution were Hidalgo, Morelos, and Iturbide (to use their popular names). None of them was a leader of the stature, character, or wisdom of Washington, Franklin, Adams, or Jefferson. Once again I am struck by how extraordinarily fortunate the United States was to have men of their ilk on the scene when the flames of rebellion broke out. And the United States also was fortunate to have been the colonies of Great Britain, which was so much more advanced politically, socially, and economically than was Spain. Indeed, reading this book brings home just how badly cursed Mexico was, and is, by the decrepitude of Spain of the 18th Century.

Conclusion: while not a great book, THE MEXICAN WARS OF INDEPENDENCE is timely in its way and it invites contemplation on the serendipities and contingencies of history. Three-and-a-half stars.

Mr. Donahue wrote the review I would have liked to. I might add, though, that it's easy to get lost in the weeds when following Morelos's campaigns. The author does a good job of making it comprehensible. The book offers a clear narrative combined with the factual details that make it real.

Dr. Henderson's writing style makes for easy, enjoyable reading. We Mexican history buffs now have many new insights and food for thought concerning the Mexican struggle for Independence, especially when contrasted with the earlier American and French experiences. I especially enjoyed "The Empire" subsection of Chapter Nine (p. 192 paperback). This is an extremely helpful historical perspective.

I think his comments in Chapter Seven, subsection "Morelos Vanquished" (p. 140 paperback) are a bit tough on the Mexican declaration of independence. Under the circumstances, it did not spell out the exact form of the new independent Mexican government, but neither did the US Declaration of Independence (whose purpose was to justify the separation of the North American colonies from Great Britain). The US Articles of Confederation served as an interim government structure during the War and for some years after, just as the Mexico rebels used the Spanish Constitution of 1812 and various "Plans" as their organization during their quest for autonomy from Spain.

I believe four important differences between the US and Mexican experiences were:

1. US Independence was a war over absolute autonomy. Mexican Independence was a war for social change, vengeance, and, in the end, autonomy as well. I think American history would have been quite different if abolition of slavery, in addition to autonomy from Great Britain, had been the main objectives of the US Revolutionary War.

2. The US was fortunate to have altruistic, highly educated, and well-read leadership who put building a strong new nation ahead of their personal interests (i.e., the precarious, but effective teamwork at the Constitutional Convention). On the other hand, the Mexican struggle sometimes put personal prestige and lust for power ahead of an effective, altruistic team effort.

3. The US Independence struggle was more of a gentlemen's War, while mob-rule and frequent atrocities stained the Mexican Independence movement. This mob-rule was exactly what Alexander Hamilton had feared back in 1787. Also the violence in France greatly upset Col. Hamilton as well.

4. After independence, Mexico opted for a constitutional monarchy/empire instead of a 3-part and counter-balanced democratic republic like the US.

Dr. Henderson mentions an interesting political science theory that a king "for life would be above the political fray, not swayed by political passions and authority" (Chapter Nine, subsection "Creating a Government" p. 188, paperback). As they say, power corrupts, but I say, government with built-in checks and balances (as in the US) can administer more fairly and more democratically.

(Personal note: I have been living and working in Mexico for almost 30 years - Now Retired, thankfully!)

I think this is a great read about how Mexico got its independence. Many know the story of Bolivar in South America, but few understand the struggles of Hidalgo, Morelos, and Iturbide. These men revolted against the social system, and made many mistakes in their many campaigns. All died terrible deaths. Hidalgo let his followers loot to their fill. He also murdered innocent Spanish civilians. Morelos was a failed military campaigner, although he was an improvement from Hidalgo. Iturbide might have been a schemer, and he was Mexico's first Emperor after independence. Iturbide was the man most directly responsible for Mexico's independence. If it wasn't for him, Mexico may have had a longer colonial period like Cuba. However, his conspiracy led directly to Mexico's independence.

This is a good short read. I have read Henderson's previous book on the US-Mexican war. This is a better book, and I read it in one sitting. Good brief summary accounts show how Mexico struggled for independence for a good ten years.

"The Mexican Wars for Indpendence" by Timothy J. Henderson has many virtues. At its core, the book is a clearly written, concise account of Mexico's War of Independence. If you are just looking for the facts, laid out in a well organized fashion, this book is for you. However, if you are like me and find that deeper historical understanding is found in detail and good story telling, this book will only disappoint. Mexico's War for Indpendence is inherently confusing. A deeper understanding of that struggle will not be found in this book.