Editing History of Honduras (section)

==Honduras in the nineteenth century==

===Independence from Spain (1821)===
[[File:Comayagua monumento de la independencia.JPG|thumb|La Merced plaza of Comayagua after the independence from Spain.]]

In the early 19th century, Napoleon's occupation of Spain led to the outbreak of revolts all across [[Spanish America]]. In New Spain, all of the fighting by those seeking independence was done in the center of that area from 1810 to 1821, what today is central Mexico. Once the Viceroy was defeated in Mexico City, in 1821, news of independence was sent to all territories of New Spain including the Intendancies of the former Captaincy of Guatemala. Accepting this as a fact, Honduras joined the other Central American Intendancies in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. The public proclamation was done through the 
[[Act of Independence of Central America|Act of Independence]] in 1821.

After the declaration of independence it was the intention of the New Spain parliament to establish a commonwealth whereby King of Spain [[Ferdinand VII]] would also be Emperor of New Spain, and in which both countries were to be governed by separate laws and with their own legislative offices. Should the king refuse the position, the law provided for a member of the House of Bourbon to accede to the New Spain throne. Ferdinand VII did not recognize the declaration of independence and said that Spain would not allow any other European prince to take the throne of New Spain.

By request of Parliament, the president of the regency [[Agustín de Iturbide]] was proclaimed emperor of New Spain but the Parliament also decided to rename New Spain to Mexico. The [[First Mexican Empire]] is the official name given to this monarchical regime from 1821 to 1823. The territory of the Mexican Empire included the continental intendencies and provinces of New Spain proper (including those of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala) (See: [[Central America under Mexican rule]]).

===Federal independence period (1821–1838)===
[[File:Don Francisco Morazan Quezada.JPG|thumb|left|Central American president General [[Francisco Morazán|Francisco Morazán Quezada]]. |alt=|214x214px]]

In 1823, a revolution in Mexico ousted Emperor [[Agustín de Iturbide]], and a new Mexican congress voted to allow the Central American Intendencies to decide their own fate. That year, the United Provinces of Central America was formed of the five Central American Intendencies (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica) under General [[Manuel José Arce]]. The intendencies took the new name of "states".

Among the most important figures of the federal era include the first democratically elected president in Honduras, [[Dionisio de Herrera]], a lawyer, whose government, begun in 1824 established the first constitution, after him became the presidential period of Gen. [[Francisco Morazán]], Federal President 1830–1834 and 1835–1839, whose figure embodies the ideal American Unionist, and [[José Cecilio del Valle]], editor of the Declaration of Independence signed in Guatemala on 15 September 1821 and Foreign Minister of  foreign policies in Mexico in 1823.

[[File:Flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.svg|thumb|Flag of the Central American Federation that lasted until 1839.]]

Soon, social and economic differences between Honduras social classes and its regional neighbors exacerbated harsh partisan strife among Central American leaders and brought the collapse of the Federation from 1838 to 1839. General Morazán led many successful efforts to maintain the federation during the known [[First Central American Civil War]], against the conservatives, that saw Morazan policies like making the federation a [[secular state]] as a thread to their interests. However, despite General Morazan's victories, his army began to wear out by the efforts of war, until the situation became almost untenable until he was captured and shot in Costa Rica, but not before being buried with honors. His legacy was so important in Honduras and Central America that the department of Francisco Morazan was named after him, and several statues were erected at the end of the 19th century.  Restoring Central American unity remained the officially stated chief aim of Honduran foreign policy until after [[World War I]]. Honduras broke away from the Central American Federation in October 1838 and became independent and sovereign state.