Omar Bennett
In 1835, Mexican president Antonio López de Santa Anna repealed the country's constitution, sparking the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna, who was known for switching sides in the Liberal-Conservative conflict, was a controversial and pivotal figure in 19th-century Mexican politics, playing a role in the fall of the First Mexican Empire and Republic, the promulgation of the 1835 Constitution, the establishment of the Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Pastry War, the Mexican-American War, and the Texas Revolution. Historians debate the exact number of terms he served as president, with estimates ranging from five to eleven.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Antonio López de Santa Anna |
| Known As | Santa Anna |
| Profession | Mexican general, politician, and caudillo |
| Served As | 8th President of Mexico |
| Years Active | 1833-1855 |
| Nature of Rule | Dictatorial, often absent, and ambitious for glory |
| Notable Roles | Fall of the First Mexican Empire, Texas Revolution, Mexican-American War |
| Constitution | Discarded the liberal Constitution of 1824 in 1835 |
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What You'll Learn
Antonio López de Santa Anna's political career
Antonio López de Santa Anna, often known simply as Santa Anna, was a Mexican general, politician, and caudillo. He served as the 8th president of Mexico on multiple occasions between 1833 and 1855, and also served as vice president from 1837 to 1839. He was a pivotal figure in Mexican politics during the 19th century, playing a notable role in the fall of the First Mexican Empire and Republic, the promulgation of the Constitution of 1835, the establishment of the Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Texas Revolution, the Pastry War, the promulgation of the Constitution of 1843, and the Mexican–American War.
Santa Anna was in charge of the garrison at Veracruz when Mexico gained independence in 1821. He had joined the military in 1810, fighting against insurgents and policing Indian tribes. In 1823, he helped overthrow Agustín de Iturbide, the monarch of the Mexican Empire. Santa Anna became well known for switching sides in the conflict between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. He came to power as a liberal in 1832 and 1847, sharing power with Valentín Gómez Farías. He played a role in discarding the liberal Constitution of 1824 in 1835 and in restoring it in 1847.
Santa Anna's role in the Texas Revolution made him famous in the United States. In 1836, he marched into Texas to crush a rebellion by U.S. settlers, but he was defeated and captured by Sam Houston. He was deposed from power during his absence. Santa Anna regained popularity when he joined the defence of Mexico against the French in the Pastry War in 1838, losing a leg in battle. He was acting president in 1839 and helped overthrow the government of Anastasio Bustamante in 1841, becoming a dictator from 1841 to 1845. Excesses during this period led to his overthrow and exile.
Santa Anna was overthrown and exiled again in 1855, after which he began to fade into the background of Mexican politics. He was allowed to return to Mexico in 1874 and died in obscurity in 1876. Historians debate the exact number of his presidencies, with some claiming five or six terms and others arguing that he assumed the presidency eleven times, often for short periods.
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The Texas Revolution
The seeds of the conflict were planted during the final years of Spanish rule (1815-1821) when Anglo Americans began to settle in Spanish Texas. After Mexico gained independence in 1821, the new Republic of Mexico sought to gain control of its northern reaches, which had been dominated by Native American groups such as the Apache and Comanche. However, as Anglo influence steadily increased during the 1820s, Mexican leaders became suspicious that the United States intended to acquire Texas by purchase or revolution. These suspicions were fuelled by the Fredonian Rebellion in 1826, an early attempt by Anglo-American settlers to secure independence from Mexico.
In response to the growing Anglo-American presence in Texas, the Mexican government passed the Law of April 6, 1830, which forbade Anglo-American immigration and prohibited the introduction of slaves. Although the law angered colonists, it did not curb immigration or the practice of slavery. In 1835, Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna repealed the Mexican constitution, which ultimately led to the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna's reasoning for the repeal was that American settlers in Texas were not paying taxes or tariffs, and new settlers were banned. This policy was a response to U.S. attempts to purchase Texas from Mexico.
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The Mexican-American War
The immediate cause of the war was the disputed boundary between the US and Texas on the Nueces Strip. Mexico did not recognise Texas as legitimate American territory, and Texas's admission to the US antagonised Mexican officials and citizens. President James K Polk intentionally worked to provoke a war with Mexico, ordering American forces into disputed territory in January 1846. In April, General Zachary Taylor led an army of around 4,000 men into the Nueces Strip, a contested area that Mexico considered never to have been part of Texas. The US Navy then cut off the nearby city of Matamoros from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a blockade. Mexican forces broke the blockade, and the Mexican Army opened fire, killing 11 American soldiers.
The leader of Mexico during the Mexican-American War was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who played a notable role in the conflict. Santa Anna was a controversial figure in Mexican politics, known for switching sides between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. He was involved in discarding the liberal Constitution of 1824 in 1835 and played a role in the promulgation of the Constitution of 1843. In 1835, Santa Anna repealed the Mexican constitution, citing non-payment of taxes or tariffs by American settlers in Texas, which ultimately led to the Texas Revolution.
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Santa Anna's dictatorship
Antonio López de Santa Anna, often known simply as Santa Anna, was a Mexican general, politician, and caudillo. He served as the country's eighth president on multiple occasions between 1833 and 1855. He also served as vice president from 1837 to 1839. Santa Anna is a controversial figure in Mexican history, and historians often refer to the three decades after Mexican independence as the "Age of Santa Anna".
Santa Anna was known for his dictatorial style of rule. In 1835, he repealed the Mexican Constitution of 1824, which gave the states many freedoms, and declared himself a dictator. This sparked rebellions in several Mexican states, including Texas, which was at the time a Mexican state. Santa Anna personally led the army into Texas to quell the revolution, carrying out a "`take-no-prisoners` policy, leading to the execution of everyone at the Alamo and at Goliad. This infuriated the Texans and led to a crushing defeat for the Mexican army at San Jacinto. Santa Anna was allowed to live but had to grant Texas independence.
Santa Anna's rule witnessed the loss of Texas, a series of military failures during the Mexican-American War, and the Mexican Cession. He was also responsible for selling millions of acres of land, known as the Gadsden Purchase, to the United States in 1853. This united the opposition against him, and he was overthrown and exiled in 1855 through the liberal Plan of Ayutla.
Santa Anna's legacy is viewed negatively by many historians and Mexicans, who rank him as one of the most unpopular and controversial Mexican presidents of the 19th century.
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Santa Anna's exile
Antonio López de Santa Anna, often known simply as Santa Anna, was a Mexican general, politician, and caudillo who served as the president of Mexico on multiple occasions between 1833 and 1855. He also served as vice president of Mexico from 1837 to 1839. Santa Anna played a notable role in the promulgation of the Constitution of 1835 and the establishment of the Centralist Republic of Mexico. In 1835, he repealed the Mexican constitution, which ultimately led to the beginning of the Texas Revolution.
Santa Anna was a controversial figure in Mexican politics, known for switching sides between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. He was also known for his military leadership, playing a prominent role in the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War. Santa Anna's intermittent periods of rule witnessed the loss of Texas and a series of military failures during the Mexican-American War.
Santa Anna experienced several periods of exile throughout his political career. The first occurred in 1844 when he resigned the presidency and was exiled to Cuba due to growing resentment against his rule. However, he returned to Mexico in 1846 as the country was facing a war with the United States. Santa Anna offered his military experience to the new government, but ultimately reneged on a deal with the Americans and took up arms against them.
Santa Anna's political influence waned after Mexico's defeat in the Mexican-American War. He found himself in exile again in 1851, this time in Jamaica. Santa Anna was recalled from exile in 1853 to lead a conservative government, but his attempt to declare himself dictator for life led to his overthrow and exile once more in 1855. This final exile lasted until 1874 when he was allowed to return to Mexico by President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, two years before his death in 1876.
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Frequently asked questions
Antonio López de Santa Anna repealed the Mexican constitution in 1835.
Santa Anna repealed the constitution because American settlers in Texas were not paying taxes or tariffs, claiming they did not receive any services from the Mexican government.
The repeal of the constitution led to the beginning of the Texas Revolution. The Texas Department of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas rebelled in late 1835 and declared itself independent on 2 March 1836.
Santa Anna played a notable role in the fall of the First Mexican Empire, the fall of the First Mexican Republic, the establishment of the Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Pastry War, the Mexican-American War, and the promulgation of the Constitution of 1843.
Historians debate the exact number of Santa Anna's presidencies, as he often shared power and made use of puppet rulers. Estimates range from five to eleven.
