# Casa Mata Plan Revolution

The Casa Mata Plan Revolution was a contextualized armed conflict of the struggles between the Republicans and Pro-Imperialist factions during the first half of the 19th century in the First Mexican Empire.

## Background

In early 1822, the last Spanish stronghold in Mexico was the Fort of San Juan de Ulua - located on a small island off the coast of Veracruz. There had been a change in command at the fort during this time. General Antonio Lopéz de Santa Anna, stationed in Veracruz, planned a scheme that entailed capturing the fort by feigning surrender of Veracruz to its new commander. When Captain General José Antonio Echávarri, the captain-general of the local provinces, arrived in Veracruz, he approved of the plan; agreeing to join Santa Anna in the scheme. He positioned his troops in Veracruz to ambush the landing Spaniards, having been promised support by Santa Anna.
On October 26, 1822, as the Spaniards landed, Santa Anna's troops failed to arrive. Echávarri barely defeated the landing party, leading the Spanish to ultimately maintain control of the fort. Echávarri expressed his suspicion to Agustín I that it had all been a scheme by Santa Anna to get Echáverri killed as revenge for Santa Anna not having been appointed Captain-General himself. Iturbide himself went to Veracruz to dismiss Santa Anna from his command, under the pretext of simply moving him to a different post in Mexico City. However, Santa Anna suspecting his ruin, instead took command of his troops and in December 1822 started a rebellion in favor of a republican form of government.

## Santa Anna Uprising

When Iturbide learned of the rebellion, Santa Anna was declared a traitor, deprived of his rank, and pardon was offered to any of his followers who would return their allegiance to the Empire within an allotted time. Troops were advanced against the insurgents. Santa Anna meanwhile published a manifesto, and was joined by the hero of the independence wars, Guadalupe Victoria. The insurgents began calling themselves the Liberating Army and were spreading in popularity. Santa Anna was defeated on December 21 when he attacked Jalapa, and even considered fleeing to the United States, but Victoria assured him, urging him to garrison Veracruz, and telling Santa Anna "you can set sail when they show you my head".

## Resistance of Santa Anna and Battle of Almolonga

Vicente Guerrero and Nicolas Bravo defected from the ranks of the imperialists and proceeded to Chilapa on January 5, 1823, to join the revolution, but experienced a disastrous defeat at Almolonga. The insurrection was mostly being suppressed at this time; Victoria being held in check at Puente del Rey, and Santa Anna still confined at Veracruz.
At this point, opposition to the government began to negotiate with the military. Echevarri was sent to take care of the rebellion in Veracruz, but ended up defecting. On February 1, 1823, a junta of military chiefs met to proclaim the Plan of Casa Mata. The army pledged itself to restore congress while disavowing any intention of harming the Emperor, or of overthrowing the Mexican monarchy. On February 14, Puebla proclaimed the plan, followed by San Luis Potosí and Guadalajara. By March, most of Mexico had proclaimed in favor of the plan.

## Comanche Alliance

On the following day, the 4th Cavalry Regiment joined the rebels, and later that night, the remaining grenadiers on horseback from the Emperor's guard also defected. This left Iturbide with only the forces that remained loyal to him in Ixtapaluca, where he was stationed to cut off communication between the rebels in Puebla and prevent further defections. Iturbide then contacted the Comanche Guonique captain who had traveled to Mexico City, to celebrate peace treaties with the government. The Comanche captain offered to raise 20,000 men to defeat the insurgents. However, by then the government had made such concessions to those pronounced that even with all that help it would be difficult to overcome.

## Restitution of Congress and talks with the insurgents

Iturbide was then forced to restore the Congress, ordering in a speech to provide resources to the pronounced, pointing out the points they should occupy as well as carry out an amnesty to forget the grievances of the past. When he believed that it would be enough for the country to return to its tranquility, he left Ixtapaluca and went with his forces to his residence in Tacubaya. Previously, demonstrations made it impossible for the emperor to leave his room and wanted the occupation of the forces of the Liberating Army, the Revolutionary Board of Puebla decided not to recognize the Congress until it moved to a place far from the jurisdiction of the emperor.

## Fall of the Empire

It is then that Iturbide abdicated, before the advance of the insurgents in to the capital. But by not reaching an agreement on how it would be, the Liberating Army was about to collide with the imperial troops. Iturbide, wanting to avoid the conflict, sent the military commander of the capital, Brigadier Manuel Gómez Pedraza to Santa Marta, where General Marquis Antonio de Vivanco had located his headquarters, to enter into an agreement with the pronounced.
In a meeting in which Vivanco, Bravo, Echávarri, Miguel Barragán and others were, a 3-article agreement was signed on March 26, recognising the character that Congress would grant to Iturbide; that he was free and that he leaves Tulancingo with his family escorted by General Bravo on the third day, as Iturbide had requested; and finally, that the troops that had been faithful to him until the end were considered belonging to the liberating army. Thus Iturbide withdrew with his family while the rebels entered the capital.