About Us:
This semester, in LSC 843 (Public Programs, Outreach, and Digital Exhibits for Libraries, Archives, and Museums), our class worked together to curate a brand new exhibit: Faith and Power in Mexico: Independence, Religion, and Unity. We were inspired by the centenary of Mexico’s Cristero War to look at the history of religious conflict in Mexico over the last 200 years.
Our class got to work firsthand with materials from Catholic University’s Special Collections in order to help bring this history to life. We were also lucky to have guidance from our professor, Dr. Maria Mazzenga, and support from Dr. Julia Young of the Department of Global Studies to help us shape our research and story.
The exhibit is officially open, and we would love for you to see what we have put together! You can read more about the exhibit below and be sure to check it out in-person at Mullen Library in the May Gallery, where you can take a closer look at the history and see these archival materials up close. Come stop by!
1810-1823: Independence and the First Empire
- Mexican War of Independence
- Plan of Iguala (1821)
- Agustín I, Emperor (1822-1823)
The Mexican War for Independence was fought between 1810 and 1821. The Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Córdoba, signed on August 24, 1821, helped secure Mexico’s independence from the Spanish Empire. Agustín de Iturbide (Agustín I), a Catholic, was proclaimed emperor in May of 1822, establishing the First Mexican Empire with Catholicism as the official religion of Mexico. This first empire was short-lived, with Agustín I being forced to abdicate in March 1823.
1857-1920: Church and State
- Constitution of 1857
- Maximilian and the Second Empire (1864-1867)
- Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)
In 1864, with the support of Mexican conservatives and the French military, Archduke Maximilian became emperor of Mexico, establishing the Second Mexican Empire. Just three years later, Maximilian was executed, and a secular republic was restored. This period was defined by a complicated and often contentious relationship between church and state as the Catholic Church found itself frequently backing unpopular authoritarian leaders and losing influence and prestige when they were overthrown. Yet despite continued liberal and anticlerical reforms, there remained persistent popular resistance to these measures, especially among Mexican women.
1926-1929: The Cristero War
- Religious Restrictions and Resistance
- Catholic Exiles
- U.S. Catholic Support
The Cristero War arose from conflict between the Mexican government of Plutarco Elías Calles and the Catholic Church. The war stemmed from the government’s restrictions on religious practice, which provoked armed resistance from Mexico’s Catholic community. The conflict resulted in widespread violence and oppression, and involvement was not confined to Mexican borders, as Mexican Catholics received support from international Catholics which included clergy and organizations in the United States that distributed information that advocated for their cause. The war ended with an uneasy settlement in 1929, though tensions and debates surrounding the role of Catholicism in Mexican government, society, and culture endured.
1957-Present: Preserving the Past
- Plan of Iguala presented to CUA (1957)
- Iturbide-Kearney Family Papers
- University Archives and Special Collections
Through documents, photographs, and artifacts memorializing years of religious conflict in Mexico, this exhibit examines how the conflict was documented and interpreted across the world and through time. Agustín I’s grandson, Agustín de Iturbide y Green, kept a copy of the Plan de Iguala, along with other family heirlooms and papers. After his death in 1925, his wife Louise Kearney arranged to donate the Kearney–Iturbide collection to Catholic University of America through Monsignor James Magner. This collection, which forms the basis of our exhibit, includes the Plan, related family papers, newspaper clippings, and images of both the Iturbide and Kearney families.
Class Contributors:
Capri Bisom, Niccolo Giambanco, Sydney Henry, Jesse Kenworthy, Katherine Lawrence, Deirdre Noel, Alyssah Robinson, Izzy Ruiz, Ella Spandorf