 The Republic of Mexico, established under the federal constitution of 1824 that enshrined Roman Catholicism as the sole religion, and retained special privileges for the church and the military, both of which were conservative in their political outlook.The early republic was a period of economic stagnation, political instability, and conflict between conservatives and liberals, with the military a prime force for conservative intervention in politics.As with other newly-independent Spanish American countries, a military strongman ("caudillo"), conservative General Antonio López de Santa Anna, dominated politics in a period conventionally called the Age of Santa Anna.