José Mariano Salas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Mariano Salas
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Photograph of Salas, c. 1865
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| 16th President of Mexico | |
| In office 5 August – 23 December 1846 |
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| Preceded by | Nicolás Bravo |
| Succeeded by | Valentín Gómez Farías |
| Provisional President of Mexico by the Plan of Tacubaya |
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| In office 21 January – 2 February 1859 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Robles Pezuela |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Miramón |
| Member of the Regency of the Second Mexican Empire |
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| In office 11 July 1863 – 10 April 1864 |
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| Monarch | Maximilian I of Mexico |
| Succeeded by | Maximilian I of Mexico |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 May 1797 Mexico City, Viceroyalty of New Spain |
| Died | 24 December 1867 (aged 70) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Josefa Cardeña |
| Awards | _-_ribbon_bar.gif){kind=small} Order of Guadalupe |
José Mariano Salas Barbosa (born May 11, 1797 – died December 24, 1867) was an important Mexican soldier and politician. He served as the temporary president of Mexico two times. His first time was in 1846 during the Mexican American War, and his second time was in 1859 during the War of Reform.
Salas was a strong supporter of Santa Anna. During his first time as president, he stepped in for Santa Anna. This happened after Mariano Paredes was removed from power. Salas led the country for a few months and worked hard to unite Mexico and help with the war effort. He also brought back the Constitution of 1824, ending a period called the Centralist Republic of Mexico.
His second time as president during the Reform War was very short. He took the role for only a few days until the elected president, Miguel Miramon, arrived. Later, in 1863, when the Second Mexican Empire was being formed, Salas was chosen to be part of a group that invited Maximilian of Habsburg to become emperor.
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Early Life and Military Career
Mariano Salas was born in Mexico City in 1797. After finishing his basic schooling, he joined the military. He fought in the Mexican War of Independence as a young soldier. At first, he fought for Spain, but in 1821, he joined the Mexican independence movement. He later supported the Mexican Congress against Emperor Iturbide in 1823.
After Mexico became a republic, Salas continued to serve his country. He defended the government of Guadalupe Victoria in 1827. He also helped fight off a Spanish attempt to invade Mexico in 1829. Salas was involved in several political movements and defended different governments. He was known for his loyalty and military skills.
During the Centralist Republic of Mexico, Salas fought in the war against Texas. He was present at the Battle of the Alamo. He also helped defend the government against rebellions across the nation. In one battle, he was wounded but was promoted to general. In 1840, he helped put down a rebellion where rebels took the president hostage.
In 1844, Salas was one of the few people who stayed loyal to Santa Anna when he was overthrown. Because of this, Salas lost his military jobs. However, when Mariano Paredes became president in 1846, Salas was given his military position back.
Salas as President (1846)
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| Government of Mariano Salas | ||
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| Office | Name | Term |
| Relations | Jose Maria Ortiz Monasterio | 5 August 1846 – 26 August 1846 |
| Manuel Crescencio Rejón | 27 August 1846 – 20 October 1846 | |
| José María Lafragua | 21 October 1846 – 23 December 1846 | |
| Justice | Jose Maria Duran | 5 August 1846 – 26 August 1846 |
| José Ramón Pacheco | 27 August 1846 – 16 October 1846 | |
| Jose Maria Duran | 17 October 1846 – 20 October 1846 | |
| Joaquin Ladron de Guevara | 21 October 1846 – 21 December 1846 | |
| Jose Maria Duran | 22 December 1846 – 23 December 1846 | |
| Treasury | Jose Luis Huici | 5 August 1846 – 26 August 1846 |
| Valentín Gómez Farías | 28 August 1846 – 21 September 1846 | |
| Juan Almonte | 22 September 1846 – 22 September 1846 | |
| Francisco María Lombardo | 23 September 1846 – 24 September 1846 | |
| Antonio de Haro y Tamariz | 25 September 1846 – 24 September 1846 | |
| Jose Lazaro Villamil | 14 November 1846 – 10 December 1846 | |
| Juan Almonte | 11 December 1846 – 22 December 1846 | |
| Manuel Maria Sandoval | 23 December 1846 – 23 December 1846 | |
| War | Ignacio de Mora y Villamil | 5 August 1846 – 5 August 1846 |
| Manuel Maria Sandoval | 6 August 1846 – 27 August 1846 | |
| Juan Almonte | 28 August 1846 – 23 December 1846 | |
The Mexican American War started during President Paredes' time. Mexico faced many military problems, which led to strong opposition against the president. On August 4, 1846, Salas led a revolt against the government. The revolt aimed to bring Santa Anna back and to create a new constitution.
Paredes stepped down, and Salas became the new interim president on August 6. Salas announced that all laws would stay in place and canceled a law that cut public servant salaries. He freed political prisoners and gave jobs back to those who had been fired. He also wanted to build factories for cannons and raise money for the war.
Santa Anna returned to Mexico in August and supported a federal system of government. Salas then officially brought back the Constitution of 1824. He bought weapons for the military and organized an engineer corps. He also stopped political arguments in the official state newspaper. Salas formed his government with liberals and Santa Anna's supporters. This included former president Valentin Gomez Farias as finance minister.
Towards the end of August, the American government offered a peace proposal. They suggested that Mexico accept Texas's annexation as a permanent fact. Salas decided to delay, saying he couldn't deal with it until Congress met. Salas wanted to continue the war. He called on all men aged 16 to 50 to fight. He also removed limits on importing weapons and making gunpowder. He asked each state to provide 30,000 soldiers.
Mexico suffered a major defeat when Monterey fell to American forces on September 24, 1846. Salas changed military orders to defend Saltillo, but some troops ignored this. Salas continued to struggle to find money for the war. He ordered that all city properties pay one month's rent to the government.
People asked Salas to stay as president instead of holding elections. They feared that Valentin Gomez Farias, known for his strong reforms, would return to power. During this time, Salas also looked for companies to install gas lighting in the capital.
Under the influence of the liberal party, President Salas changed some of his ministers. The new Minister Lafragua wanted to create history and language academies and a public library. This was happening while the nation's money was going towards the war. Veracruz was blocked by American ships, cutting off customs income. The government offered to lower customs fees for ships that managed to get past the blockade.
The war was not going well, which caused opposition to Salas. To prevent any rebellions, Santa Anna issued a statement supporting the president. A law was passed to control the press. A National Academy of Painting was also established.
Congress finally began its meetings on December 5, 1846. Most members were liberals. General Salas opened the session by expressing sadness over military defeats. However, he hoped for the army of 20,000 men that Santa Anna had gathered. He strongly supported continuing the war. He also spoke about the peace offers from the American government. In December, Congress elected Santa Anna as president and Gomez Farias as vice-president. They took power on December 24.
Later Life and Other Roles
After leaving the presidency, Salas continued to serve in the military. He was captured by the Americans in August 1847 but was released after the war. He later became the head of the Military Court. He once again supported Santa Anna when he tried to overthrow the government in 1853. Salas opposed the Revolution of Ayutla in 1854. When the revolution succeeded, Salas was removed from politics by the winning liberals.
War of Reform and Second Empire
During the War of Reform, Salas supported a plan to remove the conservative president Zuloaga. The plan succeeded, and a group met on December 30, 1858, to choose a new president. Salas received some votes, but Miguel Miramon won. Salas temporarily held power for a few days until Miramon arrived. After the conservatives were defeated in 1860, Salas was sent out of the country.
During the Second French Intervention in Mexico, after the Mexican government left the capital in 1863, Salas joined conservatives who wanted to work with the French. On June 1, they agreed to help the French. Salas was given military command of Mexico City. The French entered the capital on June 7. On June 16, 1863, a group of important citizens met to choose three leaders for the government. Salas was chosen along with Juan Almonte and Archbishop Pelagio Antonio de Labastida. This group began its work on June 24, 1863. Power officially passed to Emperor Maximilian on April 10, 1864.
Salas died shortly after the empire fell in June 1867. He was affected by these events and his health declined. Salas passed away on December 24, 1867.
See also
In Spanish: José Mariano Salas para niños
