Confederate Migration to Mexico

After the Civil War, many Confederate military and civil leaders, despondent and dreading Reconstruction, sought homes in Mexico. The exact number who went to Mexico will probably never be known, but an estimate of 2,500 seems reasonable. Southerners settled in all parts of the empire—on farms, in seaport towns, and in villages of the interior. Colonies were established in the provinces of Chihuahua, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, and Sonora. The best known was the Cordova Valley Colony.

Ferdinand Maximilian encouraged migration to Mexico by offering low-priced public lands, free transportation for the needy, and tolerance for the Protestant churches and schools, but the movement failed because of unforeseen circumstances. There was a hostile Northern and Southern press; the U.S. government opposed the movement; and the settlers had little cash. The disturbed political conditions under Maximilian's regime aided in the downfall of the project. By 1867 most of the adventurers had returned to the United States.

Bibliography

George D. Harmon. "Confederate Migration to Mexico." Hispanic American Historical Review 17.