José Justo Corro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Justo Corro
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| 10th President of Mexico | |
| In office 28 February 1836 – 19 April 1837 |
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| Preceded by | Miguel Barragán |
| Succeeded by | Anastasio Bustamante |
| Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs |
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| In office 18 May 1835 – 26 February 1836 |
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| President | Miguel Barragán |
| Preceded by | José Mariano Blasco |
| Succeeded by | Joaquín de Iturbide |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 19 July 1794 Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| Died | c. 18 December 1864 (aged 70) Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexican Empire |
| Resting place | Panteón de Belén |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Political party | Liberal |
José Justo Corro Silva (born around July 19, 1794 – died around December 18, 1864) was a Mexican lawyer and important leader. He became the President of Mexico on March 2, 1836. This happened after the sudden death of President Miguel Barragán.
During his time as president, Mexico changed its government style. It moved from the First Mexican Republic to the Centralist Republic of Mexico. A new constitution, called the Siete Leyes (Seven Laws), was also published. Mexico was also dealing with the Texas Revolution. An important achievement was that both Spain and the Holy See (the Pope's government) officially recognized Mexico's independence.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José Justo Corro was born on July 19, 1794. He started his public service in 1810 as a provincial ensign. He rose to the rank of captain lieutenant colonel during the War of Independence.
He studied law in Guadalajara. Later, he moved to Mexico City. There, he became a well-known lawyer.
Political Career
Becoming President
Before becoming president, José Justo Corro served as the Minister of Justice. He was also in charge of church affairs. He held this position from March 18, 1835, to February 26, 1836. He worked in the government of President Miguel Barragán.
President Barragán became interim president because Antonio López de Santa Anna was away. Santa Anna was fighting rebels in Zacatecas. Sadly, President Barragán became very sick and died on March 1, 1836. Santa Anna was again away, fighting rebels in Texas. Because of these events, the Chamber of Deputies chose Corro to be the interim president. He officially took office on March 2, 1836.
Corro's Presidency
Challenges and Decisions
About three months into his presidency, bad news arrived. Mexico had been defeated by the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto. President Santa Anna was captured. Corro asked all Mexicans to help the troops and save the president. He also created a plan for the government to raise more money.
A few new ships were added to the Mexican Navy. By the end of 1836, more soldiers were sent to Texas.
Foreign Relations During Corro's Term
Corro's government faced many challenges with other countries. The biggest problem was the Texas Revolution. There were also threats that the United States would recognize Texas as an independent country. France also demanded money for damages, which later led to the Pastry War in 1838.
Because of growing tensions, Manuel Eduardo de Gorostiza, Mexico's minister to the United States, was called back home. American ships had captured a Mexican ship, the 'General Urrea'. To avoid a war, the Mexican government ordered the release of any captured American ships.
In March 1837, the new French ambassador arrived in Mexico. He brought a message from his government. It claimed damages that Mexico had not paid. The message warned that if these claims were ignored, it could lead to war. President Corro and Minister José María Tornel welcomed the ambassador. Corro stated that Mexico would not be scared by foreign demands. A newspaper even published a letter from the French ambassador. It included maps showing French victories in Algeria, to show off France's military power.
Recognizing Mexican Independence
The Corro government had a big success with the Holy See (the Pope). The Holy See officially recognized Mexico's independence. This happened after Mexico agreed to remove some anti-church laws from 1833. The Pope then decided to send a special representative to Mexico.
On December 28, 1836, Spain also recognized Mexico's independence. However, news of this did not reach Mexico until Corro was no longer president. Miguel Santa María represented Mexico during these talks in Madrid. He stayed in Spain as Mexico's foreign representative.
Domestic Issues and New Laws
During his presidency, Corro had three different finance ministers. All of them struggled to raise money for the country. They all asked the government to take out loans from other countries.
Using copper coins also caused problems because they were easy to fake. Corro tried to stop this by lowering the value of copper coins. A National Bank was also started to help with money problems. However, it struggled because it did not have enough funds.
For a long time, city properties had not paid taxes. On June 30, 1836, Corro's government ordered them to start paying taxes. They had to pay two pesos for every thousand pesos their property was worth.
There were also disagreements at the local level. People asked the president to stop elections for local councils (Ayuntamientos). They wanted to wait until the new constitution, the Siete Leyes, was finished. After stopping a revolt in the south, Congress focused on this new centralist constitution. The Siete Leyes were finally published on December 30, 1836.
Elections were held following the new constitution. The former president, Anastasio Bustamante, had recently returned from Europe. He won another term as president.
Later Life and Death
José Justo Corro stepped down as president on April 19, 1837. He then retired to private life in Guadalajara. He passed away there in 1864, during the French Intervention in Mexico. He was buried in the main cemetery of the city, the Panteón de Belén.
See also
In Spanish: José Justo Corro para niños
