republic · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Centralist Republic of Mexico

1835 CE – 1846 CE · capital Mexico City

Mexico's conservative centralist state of 1835 to 1846, during which Texas broke away, France attacked Veracruz and war with the United States began.

Origins

In 1835 a conservative congress backed by Antonio López de Santa Anna abolished the federal system of the First Mexican Republic. The Siete Leyes of 1836 turned the states into departments ruled from Mexico City, limited voting by property and created a Supreme Conservative Power to check the other branches.

Rule and society

Centralism provoked revolts across the north and south. Texas won independence at San Jacinto in 1836, Yucatán declared itself a separate republic in 1841, and federalists proclaimed the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840. France blockaded Veracruz in the Pastry War of 1838. Presidents changed often, among them Anastasio Bustamante, Santa Anna and Mariano Paredes, and the Bases Orgánicas of 1843 replaced the Siete Leyes. The treasury was always near bankruptcy.

Decline and legacy

The United States annexed Texas in 1845, and war broke out in 1846. In August 1846 a revolt restored the Constitution of 1824, creating the Second Federal Republic of Mexico as the country faced invasion.

Lineage

First Mexican Republic 1823 CE – 1835 CERepublic of the Rio Grande 1840 CE – 1840 CECentralist Republic of MexicoRepublic of Texas 1836 CE – 1845 CESecond Federal Republic of Mexico 1846 CE – 1863 CE

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Centralist Republic of Mexico. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/centralist-republic-of-mexico
MLA
“Centralist Republic of Mexico.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/centralist-republic-of-mexico. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Centralist Republic of Mexico.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/centralist-republic-of-mexico.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Centralist Republic of Mexico’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/centralist-republic-of-mexico (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻