On this day in 1821, the Army of Three Guarantees marched into Mexico City, marking Mexico’s independence from Spain. Following the Grito de Dolores, in which war was declared on Spain, rebellions began forming throughout Mexico, during the decade in which nearly all of Spain’s overseas possessions in South America broke away. The rebellion grew due to the desire for social and political reforms, along with Napoleon’s recent invasion of Spain. Different groups of rebels began fighting the Spanish Armies individually, and chaos broke out in mainland New Spain. Only in 1821, after eleven years of fighting, did plans began to come together for a single nation to rule over Central America, and as groups of rebels began coming together, plans for a Mexican Empire began forming. Finally, in 1827, an army consisting of the united rebel troops and Spanish troops marched into Mexico City, the ancient Aztec capital, proclaiming Mexico as an independent nation, despite September 16 today being Mexico’s recognized independence day.