# Free State of Costa Rica

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1838–1847 state in Central America

Free State of Costa Rica Estado Libre de Costa Rica 1838–1847 Flag Coat of arms Capital San José Common languages Spanish Government Republic Head of State • 1838-1842 Braulio Carrillo Colina • 1842 Francisco Morazán • 1842 Antonio Pinto Soares • 1842-1844 José María Alfaro Zamora • 1846 Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla • 1846-1847 José María Alfaro Zamora Legislature House of Senators and House of Deputies History • Independence from Federal Republic of Central America November 14, 1838 • Republic proclamation August 31, 1847 Currency Costa Rican real Preceded by Succeeded by Federal Republic of Central America First Costa Rican Republic

The **Free State of Costa Rica** was the name acquired by [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica) after its split from the [Federal Republic of Central America](/source/Federal_Republic_of_Central_America) in 1838 and until the proclamation of the [First Costa Rican Republic](/source/First_Costa_Rican_Republic) in 1847.[1]

## Background

Costa Rica, as a member state of the Central American Federation, was officially named the State of Costa Rica as established on the [Fundamental Law of the State of Costa Rica](/source/Fundamental_Law_of_the_State_of_Costa_Rica). As a federal state, Costa Rica was an active member of the Federation respecting the federal laws and electing its representatives to the Federal level. However, with the start of the civil war among [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala), [Honduras](/source/Honduras), and [El Salvador](/source/El_Salvador), Costa Rica enacted the Aprilia Law, allowing itself to remain autonomous until constitutional order was restored.[2]

After [Francisco Morazán](/source/Francisco_Moraz%C3%A1n)’s victory in the civil war and despite still having the Aprilia Law in function, Costa Rica held an election for its seats on the Federal Congress, electing Félix Romero Menjíbar and Juan Diego Bonilla Nava as deputies and Marquis [Manuel María de Peralta](/source/Manuel_Mar%C3%ADa_de_Peralta_y_Alfaro) and José Francisco Peralta as senators.[2] Bonilla even acted as President of the Federal Congress. Morazán was elected President in the [1830 Central American federal election](/source/1830_Central_American_federal_election), and the Central American Supreme Court requested Costa Rica to abrogate the Aprilia Law, which Costa Rica's state congress did on February 3, 1831.[2]

However, after Colombia's annexation of the Costa Rican territory of [Bocas del Toro](/source/Bocas_del_Toro_Province) (modern day Panama), without receiving federal help, sympathy for the Federation decreased. Finally, on May 30, 1838, the Federal Congress allowed the dissolution of the Federal Republic by letting each of the member states to be “organized according to their will”, which essentially ended the Federation.[1]

## History

The State of Costa Rica in 1835 still inside the Federal Republic and with [Heredia](/source/Heredia%2C_Costa_Rica) as capital.

Costa Rica's independence from the Federal Republic was proclaimed by then dictator [Braulio Carrillo](/source/Braulio_Carrillo), and his [Decree of Basis and Guarantees](/source/Decree_of_Basis_and_Guarantees) became the de facto Constitution. Carrillo negotiated the debt payment with [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain) (acquired collectively as part of the Federation) to avoid the impending threat of invasion, encouraged the coffee-growing industry, and connected [Limón Province](/source/Lim%C3%B3n_Province) through a railroad. However, Carrillo was overthrown by Francisco Morazán who proclaimed himself the new president. Morazán was planning to re-establish the Federation by force using Costa Rica as headquarters, and thus, was overthrown and executed to avoid the war that the rest of Central America was already planning against Costa Rica. The leader of the coup, [Antonio Pinto Soares](/source/Antonio_Pinto_Soares), took power temporarily, but he was born in [Portugal](/source/Portugal) and thus couldn't be Head of State. Congress chose [José María Alfaro Zamora](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Alfaro_Zamora) in his place, who ruled between September 27, 1842 and November 28, 1844. Alfaro called for elections for a new Constituent Assembly, which enacted the [1844 Constitution](/source/1844_Costa_Rican_Constitution).[2]

[Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla](/source/Francisco_Mar%C3%ADa_Oreamuno_Bonilla) was elected [Head of State](/source/Head_of_State_of_Costa_Rica) in the [1844 Costa Rican Head of State election](/source/1844_Costa_Rican_Head_of_State_election) but never took interest in the office and was deposed, replaced by [President](/source/List_of_Presidents_of_the_Legislative_Assembly_of_Costa_Rica) of the Senate [Rafael Moya Murillo](/source/Rafael_Moya_Murillo) from December 17, 1844 till April 30, 1845, and then by Senator [José Rafael Gallegos](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Rafael_Gallegos) between May 1, 1845 and June 7, 1846.[2]

Gallegos' government was highly unpopular due to his attempts to rule by decree and the chaotic situation. A coup deposed him, led by Zamora, who then called for a new Constituent Assembly and created the [1847 Constitution](/source/1847_Costa_Rican_Constitution). The name of the country was changed back to State of Costa Rica, the presidential period was extended to six years, male universal suffrage was established, the bicameral congress was changed to unicameral, and the office of the President of the State was created. In the following [1847 Costa Rican Head of State election](/source/1847_Costa_Rican_Head_of_State_election), [José María Castro Madriz](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Castro_Madriz) won over Zamora and his reformation of the 1847 Constitution proclaimed the [Republic of Costa Rica](/source/Republic_of_Costa_Rica), ending the existence of the Free State.[2]

## Government

Part of a series on the History of Costa Rica Pre-Columbian History Spanish Conquest New Spain Independence Mexican Control Federal Republic of Central America Free State of Costa Rica League War First Costa Rican Republic (1848–1948) Filibuster War 1870 coup d'état 1917 coup d'état Dictatorship of the Tinoco Brothers The Liberal State 1948 Costa Rican Civil War Founding Junta of the Second Republic 1949 Constitution The Reform State COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica Costa Rica Portal v t e

The [Executive branch](/source/Executive_branch) of government was in the hands of the [Head of State](/source/Head_of_State), who was also [head of government](/source/Head_of_government) and elected by [popular vote](/source/Election). The [Legislature](/source/Legislature) was bicameral for most of its history with a [Senate](/source/History_of_the_Costa_Rican_legislature#Senate_of_Costa_Rica) and a [House of Deputies](/source/History_of_the_Costa_Rican_legislature#Lower_House), both elected by popular vote. The Judiciary was named [Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Justice_of_Costa_Rica) and all branches were independent from each other.[1]

## Religion

Unlike previous constitutions, which had established not only the [official status](/source/State_religion) of the [Catholic faith](/source/Catholic_Church) as that of the state, but also the mandatory practice of Catholicism within Costa Rican territory (except for foreigners who were merely passing through),[3] the Constitution of 1844 enshrined [freedom of religion](/source/Freedom_of_religion) while maintaining the official status of the [Catholic religion](/source/Catholic_Church) as that of the state and one that the state had the duty to finance.[3] The [Decree of Bases and Guarantees](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Decree_of_Bases_and_Guarantees&action=edit&redlink=1) that preceded this Constitution and served as the de facto constitution during the dictatorship of Carrillo omitted the religious issue entirely.[3] In any case, during this period the majority of the population was Catholic, and only indigenous peoples in isolated mountainous areas and Sephardic Jews broke the religious homogeneity.[4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mensajepresidencialcr_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mensajepresidencialcr_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-mensajepresidencialcr_1-2) ["El Estado de Costa Rica - Siglo XIX (1825-1848)"](https://sites.google.com/site/mensajepresidencialcr/gobernantes/el-estado-de-costa-rica---siglo-xix-1825-1848). *mensajepresidencialcr*. Retrieved 22 December 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-obregon_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-obregon_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-obregon_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-obregon_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-obregon_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-obregon_2-5) Obregón, Clotilde. [*El proceso electoral y el poder ejecutivo en Costa Rica: 1808-1998*](https://books.google.com/books?id=8wqPTI2704EC). TSE. Retrieved 22 December 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-duarte_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-duarte_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-duarte_3-2) Duarte Cavaría, Henry. [*El Artículo 75 de la Constitución Política a la Luz de los Convenios Internacionales y la Jurisprudencia de la Sala Constitucional*](http://repositorio.uned.ac.cr/reuned/bitstream/120809/1141/1/Libertadculto.pdf) [*Article 75 of the Political Constitution in Light of International Agreements and the Jurisprudence of the Constitutional Chamber*] (PDF) (Master's degree in Constitutional Law thesis) (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 December 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Guzman_4-0)** Guzmán Stein, Miguel. [Sephardic migration in Costa Rica and funerary lapidary inscriptions as a research source for an unprecedented community](http://www.hcentroamerica.fcs.ucr.ac.cr/Contenidos/hca/cong/mesas/cong5/docs/gsoc1.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150924025258/http://www.hcentroamerica.fcs.ucr.ac.cr/Contenidos/hca/cong/mesas/cong5/docs/gsoc1.pdf) 2015-09-24 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Fifth Central American Congress of History. July 19, 2000. (in Spanish)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Free State of Costa Rica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_of_Costa_Rica) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_of_Costa_Rica?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.