Historical Poetics and Messianic Discourse in José Servando Teresa de Mier’s “Carta de despedida a los mexicanos” (1821)

Abstract

This article examines José Servando Teresa de Mier’s “Carta de despedida a los mexicanos.” In the letter written in 1821, Mier argues that the name México must be spelled with an x to preserve the name’s originary connotations. Analyzing the poetic strategies and messianic discourses implicit in how Mier composes the idea signified by the name México, I argue that Mier supplies a plausible argument for its time about the sources of Mexican identity and nationhood. Given the context of uncertainty around the future of Novohispanic independence in early 1821, the “Carta” is a timely intervention about the nation at a critical juncture.