North America 1838: Fragmentation of Central America
26 October 1838
26 Oct 1838
Fragmentation of Central America
12 Oct 1832 Trail of Tears
28 Dec 1835 Second Seminole War
21 Apr 1836 Texas Revolution
5 Dec 1837 Canadian Rebellions
26 Oct 1838 Fragmentation of Central America
26 Jan 1840 Centralist Mexico
8 Aug 1840 Comanche Wars
15 Sep 1842 Texas Incursions
A united Central America had broken away from Mexico in 1823, but remained unstable. In 1837, revolution erupted in Guatemala—by far the most populous state in the federation—leading both to the fall of Guatemala City and the brief independence of Los Altos. Just as the federal government in San Salvador had regained control of Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras seceded, followed soon after by Costa Rica. For over a year, civil war raged across the isthmus, before San Salvador finally admitted defeat and let the states go their own way.