Image for Agustín de Iturbide (Emperor of Mexico)

Agustín de Iturbide (Emperor of Mexico)

Agustín de Iturbide was a Mexican military leader and politician who played a key role in Mexico’s independence from Spain. Initially loyal to Spain, he switched sides and helped orchestrate Mexico’s independence in 1821. He proposed becoming Emperor of Mexico, and in 1822 he was crowned Agustín I. His reign was brief and tumultuous, marked by political instability. Soon after, he was overthrown, exiled, and later returned to Mexico, where he was executed in 1824. His legacy is complex; he is remembered as a pivotal figure in Mexico’s independence, but his time as emperor was controversial.