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The Failed Attempt To Create The United States of Central America
Creating a superstate between Panama and Mexico
The creation of the United States caught the imagination of politicians and regular people worldwide. The events of the American Revolution directly impacted the events of the French Revolution. People were enamored with the idea of a republican form of government where independent states could peacefully coexist within the framework of a larger nation. This idea also traveled south to Central America, which was struggling for its independence from a rapidly weakening Spain. The result was an attempt to create the United States of Central America (USCA).
If you look at a map today, there is no such thing as the USCA. In actuality, the state did exist, but it failed. The idea of a federal state comprising most of Central America never got off the ground. Here is how the brief history of the United States of Central America played out.
From Spain To Mexico
On September 15th, 1822, the states of Central America officially declared their independence from Spain. Spain had ruled the region for centuries, but they let the local states go without putting up much of a fight. The Act of Independence of Central America officially granted these former colonial possessions their independence. September 15th is still the official independence day of many Central American states.
However, shortly after the region became independent from Spain, it was annexed by the Mexican Empire to the north. Central America wanted to organize itself into a federation of linked republics, but the Mexicans had other ideas.
Lucky for them, the Mexican Empire dissolved in 1823 and itself became a republic. Mexico graciously allowed the recently annexed territories to decide their own fate. An offer was extended to them to allow them to reform a government of their choosing. They agreed to organize into the republic that they had envisioned.
The Federal Republic of Central America was born in 1823, and it comprised the modern states of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, as well as parts of Belize.
