Agustín de Iturbide (1783-1824) was a conservative military leader who won Mexican independence from Spain and then ruled as Emperor Agustín I in 1822-1823.

The Mexican independence movement is distinguished sharply from its counterparts in South America by its two separate phases. The initial revolt, led by Father Miguel Hidalgo, was liberally oriented but went far beyond the South American liberals by its inclusion of the mestizo (mixed-blood) and Indian classes, which gave it an overtone of social revolution. The Creole aristocrats (white American-born individuals of Spanish descent) defeated the rebels but themselves sought independence in a second phase, under the leadership of Agustín de Iturbide.

Early Life and Military Career

Iturbide was born in Valladolid (now Morelia), Mexico, on Sept. 27, 1783, the scion of a wealthy, staunchly Catholic, aristocratic family of Basque descent. He received his education at the seminary in Valladolid...