Eleanor Finch
The Mexican Constitution of 1824, also known as the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824, was the first constitution enacted in Mexico. It was ratified by Congress on October 4, 1824, and established Mexico as a representative, popular, federal republic with Catholicism as the official state religion. The constitution was patterned after the US Constitution but more closely resembled the Spanish Constitution of 1812. It was written by Mexican leaders in collaboration with Stephen F. Austin, with Juan Jose Maria Erasmo Seguin representing Texas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of enactment | 4 October 1824 |
| Type of government | Representative, popular, federal republic |
| State religion | Roman Catholic |
| Office of the President | Created, but subordinate to the legislature |
| Term of the President and Vice-President | 4 years |
| Powers of the President | Limited |
| Congress | Two houses, composed of the lower house and the upper house |
| Number of judges in the Supreme Court | 11 |
| Judicial power | Held in a Supreme Court and superior courts of departments and districts |
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What You'll Learn
- The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was enacted on 4 October 1824
- It was the first constitution of Mexico, modelled on the Spanish Constitution of 1812
- The constitution established Mexico as a representative, popular, federal republic
- It made Catholicism the state religion and the church was publicly funded
- The constitution was abolished twice, in 1836 and 1844, but reinstated several times
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was enacted on 4 October 1824
The Mexican Constitution of 1824, officially the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824, was enacted on 4 October 1824. It was the first constitution of Mexico, inaugurating the First Mexican Republic. The constitution was ratified by Congress after months of debate. It was modelled on the Hispanic Constitution of 1812, though it also adopted some practical applications from the U.S. Constitution of 1787.
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 established Mexico as a representative, popular, federal republic. It created a president and a vice president, though the office of the president was subordinate to the legislature. The president and vice president were elected for four-year terms by the legislative bodies of the states. The Congress was given two houses, which met annually from 1 January to 15 April. The president could prolong the regular session for an additional thirty days and call extra sessions.
The Constitution of 1824 also established Catholicism as the state religion, with the Church supported by the state. It granted more autonomy to local governments in the colonies while also providing for freedom of speech. The newly liberated Mexican press, however, inflamed anti-Spanish sentiment.
The creation of the Mexican Constitution of 1824 was influenced by the Mexican War of Independence, during which the liberal-dominated Spanish Cortes of Cádiz included representatives from the colonies and took into account many colonial grievances which were leading to independence. The consequent liberal Constitution of 1812, promulgated during the insurgency led by José María Morelos, established a system of ''provincial deputations' which granted more autonomy to local governments in the colonies. However, Morelos' rebellion continued, and the constitution was suspended in New Spain the same year it was proclaimed.
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It was the first constitution of Mexico, modelled on the Spanish Constitution of 1812
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was the first constitution of Mexico. It was enacted on October 4, 1824, and inaugurated the First Mexican Republic. The constitution was established following a series of rapid political changes that occurred after Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808. These changes politicized the majority of the Mexican population and led to a vibrant political discourse.
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was modelled on the Spanish Constitution of 1812, also known as the Hispanic Constitution of 1812. The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was promulgated during the insurgency led by José María Morelos. It established a system of ''provincial deputations', which granted more autonomy to local governments in the colonies while also providing for freedom of speech. The newly liberated Mexican press, however, inflamed anti-Spanish sentiment, and Morelos' rebellion continued. The same year it was proclaimed, the constitution was suspended in New Spain on the pretext of the necessity for subduing the rebels.
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was not a mere copy of the Spanish Constitution of 1812. Events in Mexico, particularly the assertion of states' rights by the former provinces, forced Congress to frame a constitution that addressed the unique circumstances of the nation. The principal innovations included republicanism, federalism, and the presidency. These innovations were adopted to address Mexico's new reality. The monarchy was abolished due to the failures of rulers Fernando VII and Agustín I, rather than to imitate the U.S. Constitution.
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 established that the supreme executive power of the federation would be held by the President of the United Mexican States. It also provided for a vice president, who would assume the president's authority and prerogatives in the event of the president's physical or moral incapacity. The constitution was composed of seven titles and 171 articles. It established the Catholic religion as the state faith and provided for its support through the public treasury. The constitution also included provisions that resembled the U.S. Constitution, such as the establishment of a president and vice president, and the structure of Congress.
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The constitution established Mexico as a representative, popular, federal republic
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was the first constitution of Mexico, enacted on October 4, 1824, and established Mexico as a representative, popular, federal republic. The constitution was ratified after months of debate in Congress, which first met on November 7, 1823, and soon divided itself into two main factions: the federalists and the centralists. The constitution was modelled on the Hispanic Constitution of 1812, which had been promulgated during the insurgency led by José María Morelos. It established a system of 'provincial deputations' that granted more autonomy to local governments in the colonies while also providing for freedom of speech.
The 1824 Constitution was composed of 7 titles and 171 articles. It introduced the system of federalism in a popular representative republic with Catholicism as the official religion. The constitution established that the Mexican nation is sovereign and free from the Spanish government and any other nation. It also stated that the nation's religion would permanently be the Roman Catholic Church, protected by law, and that the exercise of any other religion was prohibited.
Congress was made the final interpreter of the document, and the Catholic religion was established as the state faith, supported by the public treasury. The president and vice president were elected for four-year terms by the legislative bodies of the states, with the lower house of Congress to elect in the case of a tie or lack of a majority. There were numerous limitations on the powers of the president. The Congress was composed of two houses that met annually from January 1 to April 15. The president could prolong the regular session for an additional thirty days and call extra sessions.
The First Mexican Republic, also known as the First Federal Republic, existed from 1824 to 1835. It was a federated republic, established by the Constitution of 1824, and officially designated the United Mexican States. The republic was proclaimed on November 1, 1823, by the Supreme Executive Power, months after the fall of the Mexican Empire ruled by Emperor Agustin I. The federation was formally and legally established when the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States came into force on October 4, 1824.
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It made Catholicism the state religion and the church was publicly funded
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was the first constitution of Mexico, enacted on October 4, 1824, following months of debate in Congress. It established Catholicism as the official religion of the state, with the church publicly funded.
Article 3 of the constitution stated that the "religion of the Mexican nation is and will permanently be the Roman, Catholic, Apostolic [religion]. The nation protects her with wise and just laws and prohibits the exercise of any other [religion]." This was in line with the Catholic Church's privileged position in Mexico since the colonial era, dating back to the Spanish conquest in 1519–21.
The inclusion of Catholicism as the state religion in the 1824 Constitution was influenced by the earlier Spanish Constitution of 1812, which had been promulgated during the Mexican War of Independence. Article 12 of the 1812 Constitution pledged that "The religion of the Spanish nation is, and ever shall be, the Catholic Apostolic Roman and only true faith; the State shall, by wise and just laws, protect it and prevent the exercise of any other." However, Mexican liberals in the mid-nineteenth century initiated a reform to separate church and state and curtail the political and economic power of the Catholic Church, leading to decades of conflict between the church and state.
The 1824 Constitution's establishment of Catholicism as the state religion reflected the historical role of the church in Mexico and the influence of earlier constitutional precedents, but it also set the stage for subsequent reforms and conflicts over the role of the Catholic Church in Mexican society and politics.
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The constitution was abolished twice, in 1836 and 1844, but reinstated several times
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was the first constitution of Mexico, enacted on October 4, 1824, and it inaugurated the First Mexican Republic. The Constitution was based on the Constitution of Cádiz for American issues, the United States Constitution for the formula for federal representation and organization, and the Constitutional Decree for the Liberty of Mexican America of 1824, which abolished the monarchy. The Constitution of 1824 introduced the system of federalism in a popular representative republic with Catholicism as the official religion.
The second abolition occurred in 1844, with the Organic Bases of the Mexican Republic, which had a very short life. This constitution re-established capital punishment, restricted freedom of the press, and provided for the support and defense of the Catholic faith. However, the Act of Amendments of 1847 placed the Constitution of 1824 back into force.
The Constitution of 1824 was significant because it established a representative, popular, federal republic, with executive power vested in the President of the United Mexican States. It also provided for a vice president, who would assume power in case of the president's physical or moral incapacity. The Constitution guaranteed freedom of speech and prohibited slavery in the Republic, although it did not expressly state the rights of citizens.
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Frequently asked questions
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was written in Mexico City.
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 established a representative, popular, federal republic with a weak executive.
The Mexican Constitution of 1824 established Catholicism as the state religion.
