This gallery begins in the 18th century with the Bourbon Reforms and their impact on New Spain, which introduced new liberal paradigms designed to increase wealth for the Spanish Crown. These changes set the stage for the independence movement that emerged in 1810 and culminated in 1821, seeking to forge a new identity and an independent nation.

The gallery concludes with the U.S.–Mexico War (1846–1848), a pivotal event in Mexican history marked by the loss of a vast portion of national territory.