As generation after generation of American-born but European-descended Guatemalans arose and a certain national spirit and feeling was developed, these persons demanded some recognition and at least a limited degree of home rule. This Spain would not grant, but continued to send her viceroys, captains-general, archbishops, etc., from the mother country. Of the one hundred and seventy viceroys who ruled in the Americas, only four were of American birth, and those were reared and educated in Spain. It was the same with the archbishops, bishops, captains-general and other chief officials.
The opening of the nineteenth century was pregnant with important events both in Europe and America. The success of the English colonists in overthrowing the foreign yoke acted as a leaven in spreading dissatisfaction throughout the Spanish colonies. Napoleon was at the height of his power and was upturning monarchies with a reckless hand. Affairs in Spain culminated in the detention by this Lord of Europe of the King of Spain, Ferdinand VII, and the other members of the royal family at Bayonne, France, until he forced them to resign their rights to the Spanish crown in his favour. Joseph Napoleon, brother of the emperor, was crowned as King of Spain. Heretofore the Audiencia, captain-general and archbishop of Guatemala, though many times wishing for freedom, could not bring themselves to discard the country that gave them birth, religion and civilization. Even educated Indians, though desiring independence, looked upon the ruling power with fear and an almost superstitious reverence. Napoleon’s acts of violence and usurpation of the throne upon which all Spanish subjects looked with such veneration broke this enchantment, greatly stimulated the desire for freedom and gave it new impetus. Up to this time the subjects of Spain in Central America had been allowed no voice in their own government save as timid petitioners. At last the right was granted to Guatemala to choose a deputy who should reside at the court, and on March 3rd, 1810, Manuel Jose Pavon y Munoz was chosen for this position. Promises of reform were held out by the Spanish Cortes, but nothing seemed to be done in good faith and the patience of those governed was gradually exhausted.
A constant espionage was maintained by the police by way of intimidation. Informers and spies seemed omnipresent. Jose Bustamente, of Guerra, the newly-appointed captain-general, adopted stringent measures to stem the rising tide of insurrection. No intelligent native was free from suspicion which frequently resulted in his imprisonment or exile. A long memorial sent to the Spanish Cortes setting forth the causes of discontent resulted in the adoption of an organic code which promised reform and for a few months had a beneficial effect.
It was on the 15th of September, 1810, that the patriot-priest Hidalgo issued his famous pronunciamento declaring the sovereignty of Spain at an end in Mexico. The news of his success again stimulated the germs of independence in Guatemala and they began to germinate in secret among the more intelligent of both Creoles and natives. The government used every means to keep the people in ignorance of the real events in Mexico and South America and spread reports of great government successes in putting down the insurrections. Restiveness and despair fell upon many and the hopes of a better government by Spain evaporated. Men were unwilling to live longer under such despotism, and they began to look upon even death as a relief.
In 1811, pronunciamentos began to appear in a number of cities in the Kingdom of Guatemala, and on November 5th of that year the first blow was struck for freedom by the capture of several thousand muskets and a large sum of money in the Salvador treasury. The Archbishop granted eighty days indulgences for those not participating in the revolutionary movements, but this promise had little effect among the thinking classes. The masses, on the other hand, were in a degraded condition, socially, intellectually and morally, and controlled by an ignorant fanaticism. The most absurd doctrines and miracles were implicitly believed in, and fealty to the sovereigns, so they were taught, was a high virtue.
Spain was practically helpless because of her troubles in Mexico and South America where formidable revolutions were in progress. Because of this no large armies were sent and there was no great war for independence. During the years from 1811 to 1821, however, there were thousands of victims to the cause of independence throughout all of Central America and Chiapas—men who sacrificed life, liberty and freedom. Even if there were no great bloody fields of carnage or brilliant feats of arms, as in Mexico, there were tragedies in abundance, and the lives sacrificed upon the sacred altar of patriotism were as precious as those slain in battle in other countries. The Betlen conspiracy, in 1813, led by a patriotic priest, gained considerable headway, but the conspirators soon found themselves in prison through a betrayal of their plans. In 1814, a national constitution was proclaimed by Spain through her representative, Bustamente, but few believed that it was in good faith. The desire for separation from the galling yoke of Spain had taken too strong a hold to be appeased by a little sop.
Finally, in 1821, Spain’s representative, Señor Gavino Gainza, joined the rebels. On the 14th of September of that year the government house in Guatemala City was thronged by representatives of the people who came to attend a meeting that had been called by Gainza. Immediate independence was advised by the majority of those representatives and every attempt at a vacillating policy was defeated. Every vote for independence was received by the citizens who had gathered on the plaza with loud applause and those against it with groans. The anti-independents fearing for their lives retired from the palace, but they were not molested. An Acta de Independencia was then drawn up, adopted, signed and sworn to by all those who were present, and publicly proclaimed on the following day. This act declared Guatemalans to be a free and independent people and invited citizens of the provinces to elect at once representatives to a national congress to be convened on the 1st day of March, 1822, on the basis of one representative for each fifteen thousand inhabitants. This was just two hundred and ninety-seven years, three months and nineteen days from the time Alvarado and his followers took possession of the country.
A provisional junta was formed to advise with Gainza, who had apparently thrown his die with independence, but secretly—so it is claimed—intended to deal doubly. Chiapas had proclaimed independence a few days earlier and was the first province of the Guatemala captain-generalcy, or Kingdom of Guatemala, as it was called, to throw off the Spanish yoke. San Salvador followed on the 21st of September, Honduras on the 16th of October, Nicaragua on the 21st of October and Costa Rica on the 27th of October. All of these provinces formally accepted the Plan of Iguala proclaimed by Iturbide of Mexico, which provided as follows: preservation of the Roman Catholic Church; independence under a monarchical form of government with a prince of the royal house of Spain as ruler; union and equality of Spaniards and Mexicans and Central Americans.
The change to freedom was not easy after three centuries of misrule. The abolishment of slavery forty years before the United States freed her black men was one good omen. Two parties, conservatives and liberals, sprang up. The most of the enlightened ones espoused the cause of the liberals, while the old families, those with race prejudice, and the clergy adhered to the conservative cause, although many of the priests were in the front rank of those battling for independence. Thus the state cast adrift without any fixed policy.
The idea of annexation to Mexico began to grow popular. Iturbide, who had in the meantime made himself Emperor of Mexico, sent messengers to Gainza, who espoused that cause and began to persecute those opposed to that idea. Republicans were insulted and even conversations on the street on political subjects were prohibited. The junta decreed annexation on the 5th of January, 1822, and the people were given all the rights of Mexican citizens. This union only lasted for about fifteen months and was dissolved soon after the fall of the Emperor Iturbide. The only tangible results of the union were internal strife and heavy taxes.