Editing Veracruz (section)

===Independence===
[[File:Battle of Veracruz.jpg|thumb|Depiction of the Battle of Veracruz during the Mexican–American War]]

During the [[Mexican War of Independence]], there was support for the insurgents in many parts of the state, with skirmishes erupting in various parts as early as 1811. A major conspiracy against the colonial government was discovered in the port in 1812, with rebels taking [[Ayahualulco]] and [[Ixhuacán]] during the same year. This forced royalist troops to withdraw to Xalapa. Eventually, this city along with the port were cut off from Mexico City. Most of the state remained in rebel hands during the rest of the war although the commercial class of the port did not support the effort. In 1821, [[Juan de O'Donojú]], the last [[viceroy]] of New Spain, came to the port to leave for Spain. However, until 1823, Spanish troops continued to occupy San Juan de Ulúa Fort. In 1826, the city would receive the first of its four titles of "heroic city" for confronting these remaining Spanish troops.<ref name="enchistoria" />

While the last of the Spanish held on in San Juan de Ulúa, [[Agustín de Iturbide]] had been declared the emperor of Mexico in 1822. However, his reign quickly encountered resistance from those favoring a republican form of government, including from [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]] from his stronghold in Veracruz state. Months later, Iturbide would go into exile and Santa Anna would eventually hold nine terms as president.<ref name="schmal" /><ref name="enchistoria" />

The French intervened in Mexico through Veracruz for the first time in the 1838, in what became the [[Pastry War]]. The port was blockaded. Efforts to defend the country were coordinated from Xalapa. The port was bombarded, but eventually a settlement was reached.<ref name="enchistoria" />

During the [[Mexican–American War]], the port was blockaded again, this time by the Americans. Initial American attempts in 1847 to land in [[Alvarado (Veracruz)|Alvarado]] were checked, but the Americans then made a plan to land a few miles south of Veracruz, which surrendered after [[Siege of Veracruz|a 20-day siege]], defeated General [[Antonio López de Santa Anna|Santa Anna]]'s forces at the [[Battle of Cerro Gordo]], and marched inland through [[Xalapa]] towards Mexico City, led by General [[Winfield Scott]].<ref name="schmal" /><ref name="enchistoria" /> Mexico surrendered shortly after.

The municipalities of [[Tuxpan]] and [[:es:Chicontepec de Tejada|Chicontepec]] belonged to Puebla until 1853, when they were annexed to Veracruz to give the state its final form. In 1855, the State Government Palace was constructed. During the [[Reform War]], the major player was Ignacio de la Llave whose name is part of the state's official designation. In 1858, the port became the site for the liberal government under [[Benito Juárez]] after he was forced out of Mexico City during the Reform War. Their control of this port and its customs duties allowed liberal forces to gather resources. Conservative forces attacked the state but were repelled from both the port and Xalapa.<ref name="enchistoria" />

The Reform War devastated Mexico's economy, leaving it unable to repay its European debts. As a result, Juárez annulled the country's foreign debt, prompting Britain, Spain, and France to occupy the Mexican Gulf Coast in October 1861 to force repayment. Under normal conditions, this move would have been blocked by the United States under the [[Monroe Doctrine]], however, that nation was occupied with a Civil War at the time, and the European powers believed that the Americans could not act. Spanish troops under General Manuel Gasset occupied the port of Veracruz without local resistance.<ref>''The New York Times'', "The Expedition to Mexico," January 3, 1861</ref> Then, in November, the power was also occupied by British and French forces. The Spanish and the British withdrew after making deals with Juárez, but [[Second French intervention in Mexico|the French pushed on]] to establish the reign of [[Maximilian I of Mexico]]. However, this was short-lived and the French were expelled through Veracruz in 1866/67.<ref name="schmal" />

In 1863, the state was officially named Veracruz-Llave. After the French were expelled, the state government was in the port of Veracruz. In 1878, the capital was transferred to Orizaba. It was later moved to Xalapa in 1885.<ref name="enchistoria" />

By the end of the century, many infrastructure improvements, such as roads and railways (especially the [[Interoceanic Railway of Mexico|Ferrocarril Interoceánico]]) had been completed with the major cities being Veracruz, Orizaba, Xalapa, Córdoba, [[Jalacingo]], Chicontepec and [[Tantoyuca]]. The discovery of oil in the north of the state attracted foreign firms, which brought machinery needed for its extraction. These companies included Huasteca Company Petroleum and El Aguila along with American and English firms. During the same time period, uprisings against the government under [[Porfirio Díaz]] in the agricultural south of the state were brutally repressed.<ref name="enchistoria" />