And Independence was consolidated at sea
From 1821 to 1836 a naval war was fought between the Spanish and Mexican squadrons in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, a conflict in which our military sailors fought with honor and bravery.
Library of Official Publications of the Government of the Republic | September 13, 2021
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| And Independence was consolidated at sea |
Secretaría of Marina.
In 2014, the Secretary of the Navy (Semar), in collaboration with the National Institute of Historical Studies of the Revolutions of Mexico (INEHRM), published the book “… And Independence was consolidated in the sea”, where it gives an account of the heroic future of the Mexican navy who has defended national sovereignty with blood and fire.
As this work documents, Mexico was born offering peace, but it was forced from its first steps to put itself on the warpath. The great maritime powers that arose from the 15th century to the 19th century developed their naval power because they lacked sufficient continental territory. Because of this, they jumped into the sea in search of food and trade, until at some point in the ocean the interests of two actors who had the same objective converged: control of trade routes, which led them to assemble their boats to protect its coasts, and then dominate the disputed space to boost its expansion.
From 1821 to 1836 a naval war was fought between the Spanish and Mexican squadrons in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, a conflict in which our military sailors fought with honor and bravery, with heroic deeds and brave actions, they were determined to achieve victory, which consisted of ensuring the freedom of the Homeland. This fact is all the more outstanding if one considers that in those years our country had a weak, small Navy incapable of catching a sardine. By October 1821, Mexico had not yet consolidated its independence from Spain.
The governor and general commander of the province of Veracruz, Brigadier José Dávila, denied recognition of the Treaties of Córdoba and withdrew together with his forces in the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, where he remained for four years. Faced with this threat, the Mexican government was forced to organize a naval force.
In 1825, the first naval squadron, under the command of the frigate captain, Pedro Sainz de Baranda, blocked the fortification of San Juan de Ulúa. The Spaniards signed the capitulation of the square and were expelled on November 23, 1825. However, the King of Spain, Fernando VII, refused to recognize the independence of Mexico, maintained the military garrison in San Juan de Ulúa, as well as a real and dangerous threat from the Havana naval station on the Island of Cuba. Our country officially declared war in 1823, which formally ended with the signing of the Peace Treaty in 1836.