The republicans soon are forced to come to terms with the Mexican Empire and the territory under their control is declared the Santa Fe Republic after their de facto capital. In various to the will of his European masters, Emperor Maximilian enacts numerous political, social, and economic reforms. His enactment of land reform and expropriation of church property in favor of the Mestizo poor, prove vastly popular with the mass of Mexicans if not with his conservative backers. Militarily dependent on the French, Maximilian dose not have a freehand to act in the peoples interest, none the less he proves widely popular throughout the Empire.