José Joaquín de Herrera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José Joaquín de Herrera
Portrait of José Joaquín de Herrera
14th President of Mexico
In office September 12, 1844 – September 21, 1844
Preceded by	Antonio López de Santa Anna
Succeeded by	Valentín Canalizo
In office December 6, 1844 – December 30, 1845
Preceded by	Valentín Canalizo
Succeeded by	Mariano Paredes
In office June 3, 1848 – January 15, 1851
Preceded by	Manuel de la Peña y Peña
Succeeded by	Mariano Arista
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office April 1, 1827 – April 30, 1827
Preceded by	Manuel Crescencio Rejón
Succeeded by	Carlos García y Bocanegra
Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Veracruz
In office January 1, 1827 – December 27, 1828
5th Minister of War and Marine
In office July 12, 1823 – March 11, 1824
Preceded by	José Ignacio García Illueca
Succeeded by	Manuel de Mier y Terán
Member of the First Constituent Congress for Veracruz
In office February 24, 1822 – October 31, 1822
Personal details
Born	(1792-02-23)February 23, 1792 Xalapa, Veracruz, Viceroyalty of New Spain
Died	February 10, 1854(1854-02-10) (aged 61) Tacubaya, Mexico
Spouse	Josefa Cortés

José Joaquín Antonio de Herrera (born February 23, 1792 – died February 10, 1854) was an important Mexican leader. He served as president of Mexico three times. He was also a general in the Mexican Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848).

He first fought in the Mexican War of Independence for Spain. But he later joined the fight for Mexico's freedom. After Mexico became a republic, he served as Minister of War twice.

Herrera became president during a time of change in Mexico. He was president for a short time in 1844. Then he served again from 1844 to 1845. He was overthrown because some people thought he was being a traitor. This was because he tried to recognize Texas as independent. He hoped this would protect Mexico from further American expansion.

After the Mexican-American War, he was elected president again in 1848. He worked to improve Mexico's economy and government. When his term ended in 1851, it was the first peaceful transfer of power in Mexico since 1824.

Early Life and Military Career

José Joaquín Herrera was born in Jalapa in 1792. He joined the army in 1809, just before the Mexican War of Independence began. He fought for Spain and became a Captain in 1814. He took part in several battles, like the Battle of Aculco. He also defended the city of Toluca.

In 1816, he won a battle at San Pedro. He captured all the enemy's weapons and supplies. He was put in charge of different areas, including Acapulco. He stayed in this role until 1817.

By 1819, the war had mostly quieted down. Herrera became a Lieutenant Colonel. He left the army and opened a pharmacy in Perote.

Joining the Fight for Independence

While he was a civilian, Agustin de Iturbide announced the Plan of Iguala. This plan aimed to unite everyone and create an independent Mexican kingdom. Iturbide needed more officers. He asked Herrera to join his forces. Herrera agreed, but only if everything was done in an orderly way.

Herrera's troops marched to Tepeyahualco. He was promoted to effective lieutenant colonel. He helped take the cities of Orizaba and Cordova for the independence movement. He also helped Nicolas Bravo in Puebla.

Herrera was present when the Trigarantine Army entered Mexico City. This army had helped Mexico gain its independence. He was promoted to brigadier. He also joined the uprising that ended the First Mexican Empire in 1824. The temporary government then made him Minister of War.

Entering Government Service

Herrera became Minister of War again in 1833 and 1834. This was during the liberal government of Valentin Gomez Farias. His time as minister ended when that government was overthrown. This led to the end of the First Republic and the start of the Centralist Republic in 1835.

First Time as President

In 1844, Santa Anna created a new constitution. He wanted to rule through a "puppet ruler" named Valentin Canalizo. Canalizo was named president on September 12. But he was not in the capital. So, Herrera was made interim (temporary) president. He was president for only ten days until Canalizo arrived.

During these ten days, Herrera celebrated Independence Day. He also asked Congress for a new loan. Then he handed power over to Canalizo.

Second Time as President

Overthrowing Santa Anna

About a year later, General Mariano Paredes started a rebellion against Santa Anna and Canalizo. Many northern states joined Paredes. Santa Anna went to fight the rebellion. But Congress criticized him for acting without their approval.

Canalizo, who was acting president, then dissolved Congress. This caused a big upset. Canalizo was removed from power. Herrera, who was president of the council of state, was chosen to be president again. Herrera brought Congress back. But the country was still divided.

On December 6, Herrera asked all patriots to join him. He promised that Congress would be back. His promise was kept. Congress met again that afternoon. Herrera offered to resign, but Congress voted for him to stay. The government then decided to defeat Santa Anna's remaining forces.

Herrera called important generals to the capital. He put General Nicolas Bravo in charge of all troops. Herrera prepared the capital for a possible attack. Paredes recognized Herrera as president. They worked together to find Santa Anna.

Mexico City was put under siege. Trenches were dug in the streets. Artillery was placed on rooftops. More regions supported Herrera. The government offered Santa Anna a chance to surrender peacefully. He refused. Santa Anna went to Puebla and began to attack it. General Nicolas Bravo was sent after him.

Congress started meeting again on January 1, 1845. Diplomats congratulated President Herrera. He became known for his humility. Once, the Minister of Justice saw Herrera eating breakfast at a worn-out table. He offered to buy new furniture for the president using public money. Herrera refused. He said he had pawned his own furniture. He told the minister to use the money for more important things.

Santa Anna asked for a passport to leave the country. This was denied. An arrest warrant was issued instead. Santa Anna tried to escape but was captured. All officers who followed him lost their positions.

To celebrate the end of the conflict, Congress held a special event. Herrera and other leaders attended. A holiday was declared to remember the day. Medals were given to those who defended Puebla. Many people congratulated Herrera.

Economic Challenges and Texas

One big problem for Herrera was the country's money issues. He tried to make reforms. Another major issue was the future of Texas. Herrera was practical. After ten years of trying, he knew Texas would not return to Mexico. He hoped to make a treaty with Texas. This would prevent it from joining the United States.

However, the United States Congress had already approved the annexation of Texas. This made Mexico break off diplomatic relations with the U.S. The threat of war grew. Mexico's Congress said they would not talk to the U.S. unless the U.S. promised not to annex Texas. The president was also allowed to gather resources and soldiers for defense. People in Mexico were very angry at the U.S.

Herrera knew Mexico was poor and weak compared to the U.S. He wanted a peaceful solution. His finance minister asked for a loan of three million pesos. His foreign affairs minister wanted to hear proposals about Texas. He hoped to find a treaty that would save Mexico's honor.

But people found out Herrera was open to recognizing Texas's independence. This made many people angry. They called him a traitor.

Herrera published a statement. He said his government supported personal rights and free speech. He explained that Texas's independence was better than it joining the U.S. He also preferred a smaller, well-trained army over a large, untrained one.

On December 14, 1845, soldiers in San Luis Potosí rebelled. This rebellion spread to Mexico City. On December 30, Herrera resigned. He was replaced by Mariano Paredes. The Mexican-American War began four months later.

Third Time as President

After the Mexican-American War, Herrera was elected president again in 1848. On June 14, 1848, he changed the treasury department. He cut the budget for government workers and the army. He also presented a plan to manage the national debt.

The Constitution of 1824 was brought back during the war. But changes to the constitution were slow in Congress. However, the new state of Guerrero was successfully formed on May 15, 1849. It was named after Vicente Guerrero, a hero of independence.

The first steps to build a telegraph in Mexico happened under Herrera. A line was started between Mexico City and Puebla in 1851.

Financial Challenges

On November 30, 1850, all of Mexico's national debt was combined. A committee was set up to manage it. But the plan failed because there wasn't enough money. The debt was much larger than expected. Even with money from the U.S. after the war, there wasn't enough to pay it off.

Government expenses were limited to 500,000 pesos a month. Two-thirds of this went to the War Department. This meant officials' salaries were cut. The government had to use the U.S. war payment to cover its deficit.

The government raised taxes on imported goods. But this only led to more smuggling. Efforts to stop smuggling failed because of a lack of money and corrupt officials.

By 1850, the government's debt was very high. The Ministry of Finance had many different ministers because the problem was so hard to solve. Despite these problems, the economy seemed to be getting better overall. There were good harvests. Mines produced more. Construction on a railway and telegraph line began. The first industrial exhibition opened in Mexico City in 1849.

Military and Security Issues

On November 4, 1848, the army was reduced to 10,000 men. Joining the army was made voluntary. But not enough people volunteered. So, the government had to bring back conscription (forced military service). Another rule was that officers had to come from military schools. This meant regular soldiers could not be promoted to officer.

The government bought new weapons and machinery for gun factories. They wanted to replace what was lost during the war.

A big security problem was raids by Native American groups on the northern border. The Mexican government had an agreement with the U.S. to help control these raids. Mexico tried to set up military settlements along the border. This project faced money problems. But by 1851, some progress had been made. Three settlements were home to over two thousand people.

An uprising in the Sierra Gorda region happened. The leader, Quiros, was captured and executed in October 1849.

The Caste War was also happening in Yucatán. This was a conflict between the Maya people and others. General Micheltorena was sent to help. But he resigned after failing to control the situation. General Vega replaced him in May 1851.

Foreign Relations

Towards the end of his presidency, Herrera tried to make a treaty with the United States. This treaty was about building a canal or railroad across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The U.S. government approved it. But Mexico's Congress rejected it. This was because it allowed the U.S. to send troops to protect the construction.

In 1848, there were revolutions in Europe. The Mexican government offered Pope Pius IX a safe place to stay. The Pope thanked Mexico by thinking about making a Mexican cardinal. He also gave an award to President Herrera.

After His Presidency

In the 1851 election, Mariano Arista won. Herrera was the first Mexican president since Guadalupe Victoria (in 1828) to finish his term and peacefully hand over power.

After leaving office, Herrera went home to Tacubaya. His health declined. He lived long enough to see Santa Anna return to power in 1853. This was the same Santa Anna he had helped overthrow in 1845. Herrera died poor on February 10, 1854. He was buried in the San Fernando cemetery.

See also

In Spanish: José Joaquín de Herrera para niños

• List of heads of state of Mexico