Where Did Mexico’s Former States Go?: Level 2

Did you know that Mexico hasn’t always had the same states as it does today? Since gaining independence in 1821, Mexico’s map has changed a lot because of indigenous uprisings, foreign invasions, and groups wanting to break away. 

Coahuila and Nuevo León, which are separate states now, once joined with Tamaulipas to create the Republic of the Rio Grande — a country that lasted only a few months. Later, a leader named Santiago Vidaurri combined Coahuila and Nuevo León into one state, but after he was executed in 1864, they split apart again. 

Another big change was in Central America. When Mexico became independent, countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica were part of the Mexican Empire. But in 1823, they decided to become their own nation, although Chiapas chose to stay with Mexico. 

In the north, Sinaloa and Sonora were once a single state called Sinaloa y Sonora. Because the area was so huge and had few people, there were lots of arguments between local leaders. In 1830, they split and became two separate states. 

There were also giant states called the Internal State of the North (Durango, Chihuahua, and New Mexico) and the Internal State of the East (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Texas). But rivalries and distance made them break up into smaller states. 

There was even a Province of the Isthmus in the narrow region of Tehuantepec, which was created and dissolved twice because of conflicts with the Zapotec people living there. All these changes show that Mexico’s history is full of transformations, and the map we see today is the result of many struggles and decisions. 

Time to discuss 

• Why do you think it was hard to keep some of the large northern states together in Mexico?
• What effects did losing Central American and northern territories have on Mexico?
• How do you think people felt when their state disappeared or became part of another country?