Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada: Biography

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada (1823 - 1889) He was the first president of Mexico born as a Mexican, since he came to the world after the declaration of independence. Before him, all the top leaders of the country had been born under Spanish rule, in the viceroyalty.

Lerdo de Tejada was about to become a priest, but finally political life caught his attention and was one of the protagonists of the convulsive decades that Mexico lived in the second half of the nineteenth century. In fact, he is considered one of the brightest politicians of the so-called generation of the Reformation.

He was a man with liberal ideas, who always fought to establish a republic that followed the most advanced ideas coming from Europe. In his time as president he incorporated into the Constitution the laws of the Reformation, an attempt to modernize the nation legislatively and socially.

Among the political positions he came to occupy are that of president of the Congress of the Union, head of several ministries, president of the Supreme Court, deputy and president of the Republic. Part of his career was developed alongside Benito Juárez, whom he accompanied during his trip during the French intervention.

Who was Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada?

Childhood and early years

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada was born in the town of Xalapa, Veracruz, on April 24, 1823. He was not the only one in his family who devoted himself to politics, since his brother Miguel was a prominent liberal leader.

Sebastian combined his grammar studies with work in his father's shop. The good academic results made him get a scholarship to the Palafoxiano School, located in Puebla.

At that time he seemed destined to be a priest, and even received the minor orders. However, at the last moment he changed his mind and started studying law. He obtained the title after the relevant years in the College of San Ildefonso.

His first job was precisely in that center, where he was teaching. In 1852 he was elected rector of the school, at that time considered one of the best that taught higher education in the country.

First public positions

The good development of his functions made him known in many influential circles, and in 1857 he was offered the position of prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Justice. That same year, President Ignacio Comonfort appointed him head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Four years later, in 1861, he served as a deputy in Congress and began working with the man who would mark part of his career: Benito Juárez.

French intervention

Lerdo de Tejada was president of the Congress when the French intervention took place. It was he who proposed that Juarez had special powers when the French approached the capital. This provision gave the president the legitimacy to mount an itinerant government while fighting against the invasion.

Lerdo accompanied Juarez during all that journey, maintaining the position as responsible for international affairs.

At the end of the war, the career of the future president continued to grow. From 1867 he became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Governance, president of the Supreme Court and deputy, simultaneously holding all positions.

Elections of 1871

The elections of 1871 meant the first confrontation between Lerdo and Benito Juárez. The latter tried to stand for re-election, a position that Sebastian did not share. This disagreement led him to abandon the Liberal Party and found another formation called the Lerdist Party.

Despite this, the differences between the two were not too great. When Juarez wins in the elections, he has Lerdo again. He is appointed president of the Supreme Court, something that would prove fundamental in the development of events.

The third contender in the elections would not take defeat so well. It was Porfirio Díaz, who led the rebellion known as the Plan de la Noria. Diaz was defeated, so Juarez could swear the charge.

When the situation seemed calmer, Juarez died. The Constitution established that, in that case, the presidency would be occupied by the head of the Supreme Court. In this way, Lerdo de Tejada becomes interim president.

The death of a symbol like Juarez caused the people and all the social actors to turn to support who they considered his successor.

Thus, the extraordinary elections called in 1872 give the victory to Lerdo, who becomes constitutional president defeating again Porfirio Díaz.

Presidency

On December 1 of that year Lerdo swears by the presidency. In the same elections Riva Palacio takes over the position of head of the Supreme Court of Justice.

The Veracruz politician's mandate was not simple, since he inherited a country that had suffered several decades of armed conflicts, which had greatly affected the economy.

He himself suffered several armed uprisings, such as that of Manuel Lozada in Tepic, demanding an agrarian reform.

Lerdo sought to pacify and democratize the nation. The Senate reopened, which had to function as control of the Congress. Likewise, it strove to eliminate local caciques in order to integrate all sectors of the country.

In infrastructures, the railroad between Mexico City and Veracruz was built and tried to attract foreign investors who were not Americans.

One of the most important legislative movements of his presidential period was to elevate to the Constitution the so-called Reform Laws approved by Juarez.

This was an important initiative in terms of the intention to modernize the country and brought a great opposition from the Church, which was adversely affected by some of its provisions. This confrontation reached such a point that Lerdo had to face the so-called Revuelta Cristeta.

The main negative point of its management is in the economy. Despite its efforts, it was not able to improve it too much and broad layers of the population remained immersed in poverty.

Re-election and loss of the presidency

His term was due to end in 1876, but shortly before finishing he began to defend the idea of ​​being re-elected. This did not please in a country that had made the re-election one of its main signs. Lerdo promoted a legislative change that would allow him to appear again and the deputies accepted his claim.

Lerdo wins the elections again and there were serious accusations of fraud. Among those who complained was all the judiciary, led by José María Iglesias.

His electoral rival, again Díaz, repeated the armed uprising that had already starred against Juarez at the time.

Porfirio Díaz promulgated a plan in Palo Blanco in which he denied the legitimacy of Lerdo and accepted José María Iglesias as interim president. However, he did not want to agree with Diaz and decided to leave the capital with his own political plan under his arm.

On this occasion, the rebellion led by Porfirio Díaz defeats the presidential troops. After the decisive battle of Tecoac, Lerdo de Tejada accepts his defeat.

In this way he has to resign his post and, shortly afterwards, in January 1877, he leaves the country heading for exile.

Exile and death

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada would never come back alive to Mexico. He spent his last years in New York, where he died on April 22, 1889.

Ironically, his old rival, Porfirio Diaz, then president of the nation, claimed the body to bury him in the Rotunda of the Illustrious People.

References

1. Search biographies Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. Retrieved from buscabiografias.com
2. Biographies and Lives. Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. Retrieved from biografiasyvidas.com
3. Museum of the constitutions. Decree that incorporates the Laws of Amendment to the Constitution of 1857. By Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. Retrieved from museodelasconstituciones.unam.mx
4. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Soylent Communications Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. Retrieved from nndb.com
6. Moody Wells, Deborah. Lerdo de Tejada, Sebastian. Retrieved from historicaltextarchive.com
7. Benitojuarezg. Lerdo Law Retrieved from benitojuarezg.weebly.com
8. Ford, Tom. Miguel Lerdo de Tejada. Retrieved from celebritybio.org