At the time of the Mexican-American War, in 1846, there was no Spanish colonial presence in Mexico. In fact, the country had become an independent monarchy, soo

At the time of the Mexican-American War, in 1846, there was no Spanish colonial presence in Mexico. In fact, the country had become an independent monarchy, soon followed by a republic, more than two decades before. Spain lost the vast majority of its empire in the 1820s. Just a few possessions, like Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, remained in Spanish hands until the end of the nineteenth century.