| abstract
| - The Federal Republic of Central America came to being from the already collapsing First Mexican Empire of Augustin I de Iturbide. Mexico, under Vicente Fillisola, moved to try to regain Central America for the newly established Mexican Republic, even briefly occupying El Salvador. However Fillisola was unable to maintain a presence in the region and was forced to back down, the peoples of Guatemala City paying for their transportation out. There was also the matter of crisis between the liberal and conservative factions within the Central American state, and these factions threatened to tear the union apart. In the 1825 Presidential elections, José Cecilio del Valle, a Conservative from Honduras was pitted against the liberal Manuel José Arce of El Salvador. It was a heated election, and was only won with barely enough votes by del Valle. At first, it seemed that the country would explode into Civil War, but del Valle moved to try to let cooler heads prevail, working with both sides to produce the Central American Constitution. While the Constitution was based upon that of the United States, and called for a federal state, it also detailed Roman Catholicism as the nation's official religion, and the states, while having control over infrastructure, education and a small militia, were not to act independently of the federal republic. Many of the Spanish colonial institutions were destroyed while others were retained. Many liberal governors did take their control of the education away from the church, providing Arce with his first major political crisis. The Roman Catholic Church in Spain served as a major nation-builder during the early years of the Federation, despite the opposition to the institution by the liberals. This was due to the people's continued support for the group. As a result of this, the Catholic Church had helped play a hand in the two term rule of of del Valle (1826-1836). Freedom of Speech was allowed, as was freedom of worship, despite no government support for the other religious practices, especially those of the Mayan majority in Northern Guatemala State. del Valle decided not to seek a third term citing health concerns. His successor, elected in 1835 was Centroamerican general and Liberal Party leader Francisco Morazán. His election caused an early scare in Central America, but his assurances to continue the moderate policies of del Valle seemed to calm their fears. During his Presidency, Morazán combated banditry, and tried to build up the national bureaucracy, as well as support state funding to improve and create a road system, a program that was to take some many years to achieve.
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