Turmoil and Change in Mexico28.4 Notes

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

•Main Mexican Politician during early 19th century

•President four times between 1833-1855

•Led the army during Mexican-American War

Texas Revolt

•1820s Mexico encouraged American citizens to move to Mexican territory of Texas

• in exchange for cheap land the Anglos promised to obey Mexico’s laws

•tensions grew over slavery and religion•Mexico refused to grant self-government•Stephen Austin, a leading American,

encouraged a revolt in 1835

•Santa Anna won early battles▫Alamo

•At Battle of San Jacinto Santa Anna was defeated and captured

•Texan leader Sam Houston released Santa Anna after he promised independence for Texas

•Santa Anna returned to Mexico in 1836 and was ousted from power

Mexican American War

•Santa Anna regained power and fought the US again in 1845, when the US annexed Texas

•Dispute at the border led to Mexican-American War=over in 2 years!

•1848 signed Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, gave the US the northern third of Mexico including California, American Southwest

Benito Juarez•During mid-19th century

Benito Juarez strongly influenced Mexican politics

•He was a liberal reformer, came from poor Zapotec Indian family

•Opened a law office in Oaxaca

•Elected to city legislature•1847 served as governor of

the state of Oaxaca

Juarez Works for Reform

•Late 1840s and early 1850s Juarez worked to start a liberal reform movement called La Reforma: goals were▫redistribution of land▫separation of church and state▫increased educational opportunities for the

poor•1853 Santa Anna sent Juarez and other

leaders in to exile•1855 rebellion brought Santa Anna down,

Juarez and others able to return to Mexico

•Major issue was that rich landowners kept everyone else in cycle of debt and poverty

•Liberal government spoke out about redistributing land, alarmed conservative upper-class Mexicans

•These upper class Mexicans launched a rebellion against the liberal gov’t in 1858

•After 3 years of civil war the liberals won, Juarez became president after his election in 1861

The French Invade Mexico• Exiled conservatives plotted with Europe to reconquer

Mexico• 1862 French ruler Napoleon III sent a large army to

Mexico, within 18 months had taken over• Napoleon appointed Austrian Archduke Maximiliam to

rule Mexico as emperor, Juarez continued to fight• 1867 Napoleon ordered army to leave, Maximilian was

caught and executed• Juarez reelected president in 1867, returned to reforms,

rebuilt the country, promoted foreign trade, opened new roads, set up ntl education system, etc.

• 1872 Juarez died, but left his country a legacy of relative peace, progress, and reform