The Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, Volume 21, Number 1, November 1985 Page: 19
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LORENZO DE ZAVALA: MEXICAN TRAITOR OR TEXAS IDEALIST?
of 1812 would be reproclaimed by Ferdinand VII.
With these expectations, Yucatan elected the youthful Zavala its
representative to the Spanish Cortez, but Ferdinand nullified the Spanish
Constitution of 1812 and reestablished a strong Spanish monarchy. Zavala
did not go to Spain, and with other Mexican liberals, he was imprisoned
in the notorious Spanish prison in Mexico, San Juan de Ulua. There he re-
mained for three years and studied English and medicine, each of which
was to be used advantageously.
When he was released from prison in 1817, he began to practice medicine
and wrote for local newspapers. By 1820, Ferdinand was compelled to
reinstitute the Constitution of 1812 and although Mexican revolution was
brewing, Zavala was again elected by Yucatan to the Spanish Cortez. In
1821 while in Madrid, he was appointed to several active committees of the
Spanish Cortez and actively worked for a Pan American understanding.
Early Mexican Revolutions
Because of the Mexican Revolution of 1821-1822, Zavala fled from Spain
and returned to Mexico, where he supported the creole and former royalist,
Augustine de Iturbide. The creoles, many of whom were prosperous and
well-educated, had been denied important positions in the Church, govern-
ment, and the military in Mexico; such positions were reserved for the
gachupines. Accordingly, the jealous and ambitious creoles sought self-
government; but when they attained the upper hand, the creoles incurred
opposition from the mestizos.
Zavala began participating in the numerous revolutions which marred
Mexico's history from the period of the Mexican Revolution from Spain
to the Texas Revolution from Mexico. This was the period recounted in
part by Zavala's famous Historico, which is generally conceded to be among
the best narratives of early Mexican revolutionary history.
Iturbide inaugurated the Plan of Iguala, and for a brief time was
Emperor of Mexico. He dissolved the Congress and established a "junta"
of forty-five advisers to rule Mexico; Zavala was one of these. Initially Itur-
bide adopted some reform measures, many of which were prepared by
Zavala.
Zavala met Stephen F. Austin in 1822 and a life-long association was
established. Austin had been in Mexico attempting to confirm the grant given
to his father, Moses Austin, who in 1820 had gone to San Antonio in his
search for Texas lands; there Moses Austin visited with an old and influen-
tial friend, the colorful Baron de Bastrop, who supplied encouragement andNov. 1985]
19
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Texas Gulf Historical Society. The Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, Volume 21, Number 1, November 1985, periodical, November 1985; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1433656/m1/21/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Gulf Historical Society.