History of Mexico Timeline

Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued his famous cry for independence in the town of Dolores, igniting an eleven-year war against Spanish rule that would ultimately create the nation of Mexico.

Image source: Cry of Dolores

After early rebel victories, Hidalgo was captured and executed by Spanish authorities in Chihuahua, but he became a martyr whose memory inspired the continuing independence struggle.

Image source: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero issued the Plan of Iguala, proposing the Three Guarantees—religion, independence, and unity—which united royalist and insurgent forces behind independence.

Image source: Plan of Iguala

Spanish Viceroy Juan O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba, formally recognizing Mexico's independence and ending three centuries of Spanish colonial rule.

Image source: Treaty of Córdoba

Iturbide was crowned Emperor Agustín I of Mexico, but his empire collapsed within a year amid financial crisis and opposition, leading to his abdication and exile.

Image source: First Mexican Empire

Mexico adopted its first constitution as an independent nation, establishing a federal republic with states, a bicameral congress, and a president, modeled partly on the United States system.

Image source: 1824 Constitution of Mexico

American settlers in Texas revolted against Mexican rule, declaring the Republic of Texas after victories including San Jacinto. The loss foreshadowed further territorial conflicts with the United States.

Image source: Texas Revolution

France blockaded Veracruz demanding compensation for damages to French citizens, including a pastry chef's shop. Mexico's defeat forced payment and briefly boosted Santa Anna's political standing.

Image source: Pastry War

War between Mexico and the United States resulted in decisive American victories, including the capture of Mexico City, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded over half of Mexico's territory, including California and the Southwest.

Image source: Mexican–American War

Liberal reformers led by Benito Juárez enacted sweeping changes limiting Church power, separating church and state, and promoting civil rights, provoking fierce conservative resistance and civil war.

Image source: La Reforma

France invaded Mexico and installed Maximilian I as emperor. Republican forces under Benito Juárez resisted, and Maximilian was captured and executed in 1867, restoring the republic.

Image source: Second French intervention in Mexico

Mexican forces under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French army at Puebla, an unlikely victory celebrated annually as Cinco de Mayo, symbolizing Mexican resistance to foreign intervention.

Image source: Battle of Puebla

Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico for over three decades, modernizing infrastructure and attracting foreign investment while suppressing dissent, creating prosperity for elites alongside deep inequality that fueled revolution.

Image source: Porfirio Díaz

Francisco Madero called for revolt against Díaz, sparking a decade-long revolution involving figures like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata that transformed Mexican politics and society.

Image source: Mexican Revolution

Revolutionary leaders drafted a progressive constitution guaranteeing land reform, labor rights, secular education, and national control over natural resources; it remains Mexico's governing document today.

Image source: Constitution of Mexico

Catholic rebels rose up against anticlerical policies of the post-revolutionary government, resulting in a bloody conflict resolved through negotiated peace brokered with U.S. mediation.

Image source: Cristero War

President Cárdenas nationalized foreign oil companies, creating PEMEX, a landmark assertion of economic sovereignty celebrated annually in Mexico.

Image source: Mexican oil expropriation

After German submarines sank Mexican tankers, Mexico declared war on the Axis powers and sent the Escuadrón 201 fighter squadron to serve in the Pacific, strengthening ties with the United States.

Image source: Mexico during World War II

Government forces opened fire on student protesters in Mexico City's Plaza de las Tres Culturas days before the Olympics, killing hundreds and marking a dark chapter of authoritarian rule.

Image source: Tlatelolco massacre

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake devastated Mexico City, killing thousands and exposing government inefficiency, spurring grassroots civic organization that influenced democratization.

Image source: 1985 Mexico City earthquake

The North American Free Trade Agreement among Mexico, the United States, and Canada transformed Mexico's economy, boosting exports while sparking debates over inequality and rural displacement.

Image source: North American Free Trade Agreement

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation seized towns in Chiapas on NAFTA's launch day, drawing global attention to indigenous rights and poverty and reshaping Mexican politics.

Image source: Zapatista Army of National Liberation

Vicente Fox of the PAN defeated the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, marking a historic democratic transition after seven decades of single-party dominance.

Image source: 2000 Mexican general election