But since he was a mestizo, he didn't gain much Creole support, so revolutionary fervor in Mexico began to fade... until 1820, when Spain, which was now under the rule of a Spanish rather than a French king, had a real liberal revolution with a new constitution that limited the power of the church. Thanks, Thought Bubble. So in the wake of Spain's liberalizing movements, the Mexican elites who had previously supported Spain switched sides and made common cause with the Creoles in the hopes that they could somehow hold on to their privileges. And pushing for independence together, things went very well. The Creole general Iturbide and the rebel mestizo commander Guerrero joined forces and won independence with most of the Peninsulares returning to Spain. Iturbide, the whiter of the two generals, became king of Mexico in 1822. Remember, this was a revolution essentially against representative government.