The concept of sovereignty in post-colonial Mexico: liberal and conservative interpretations
https://doi.org/10.31249/poln/2025.02.10
Abstract
Sovereignty remains today a key political and legal principle of modern states. This article examines the development and features of the concept of sovereignty in the post-colonial Mexican state (1820–1830s). The work applies the methods of the British historian Quentin Skinner. The author analyzes the forms of the word “sovereignty” and its synonyms. The main source is the periodical press of that time, i.e. five newspapers that reflected both liberal and conservative sentiments. The research focuses on two northeastern Mexican states, Veracruz and Tamaulipas, demonstrating the traits of using the concept in port and border areas.
The main impetus for the formation of a new political language was the War of Independence of the Spanish colonies in America (1810–1826). Language has become an important tool for Mexicans to interpret the new political reality. The author concludes that in the 1820s and 1830s sovereignty was understood as independence in internal and external affairs, as well as the rule and legitimacy of the law. At the same time, liberals and conservatives had different interpretations of the source of sovereignty: if the former emphasized the supremacy of the nation's political power, the latter noted its divine origin. The combination of local (colonial) and European interpretations of the concept became a feature of Mexican discourse during this period.
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