Manuel de Mier y Terán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manuel Mier y Terán
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| 6th Minister of War and Marine | |
| In office 12 March 1824 – 18 December 1824 |
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| President | Guadalupe Victoria (since 10 October 1824) |
| Preceded by | José Joaquín de Herrera |
| Succeeded by | José Castro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 18, 1789 Mexico City, Viceroyalty of New Spain |
| Died | July 3, 1832 (aged 43) Padilla, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Mexican insurgents First Mexican Republic |
| Branch/service | Mexican Army |
| Years of service | 1811—1832 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | Mexican War of Independence:
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José Manuel Rafael Simeón de Mier y Terán (February 18, 1789 — July 3, 1832), known as Manuel de Mier y Terán, was an important military leader and politician in Mexico. He played a key role during the Mexican War of Independence and the early years of the First Mexican Republic. He served in the Mexican congress and as the Minister of War.
In 1830, he led an important inspection of Texas for the Mexican government. After his report, Mexico decided to stop more American settlers from moving into Texas. He was then put in charge of keeping the area secure.
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Early Life and Career Beginnings
Manuel de Mier y Terán studied at the School of Mines in Mexico City. This was before Mexico began its fight for independence in 1810. In 1812, he joined the fighters who wanted Mexico to be free from Spain. He quickly became a leader.
He was one of the few people born in the Americas (but of Spanish descent) who fought for Mexico's independence. He served under José María Morelos, another important leader, until Morelos died in 1815.
After Mexico became independent, Mier y Terán was chosen to be a representative for Chiapas in the First Mexican Congress. He also worked on a special committee that planned how to settle empty lands.
Two years later, he became a Brigadier General in the army. He also served as the Minister of War under President Guadalupe Victoria. However, he resigned after nine months because he had different ideas from the president. In 1829, he helped Antonio López de Santa Anna stop Spain from trying to take Mexico back.
After this, he worked as a State Inspector in Veracruz. He also went on a Mexican mission to England and directed the Mexican School of Artillery until 1827. In the same year, he traveled to Tamaulipas and Texas.
Inspecting Texas
After becoming a general, Mier y Terán led a special trip to Texas. His main goals were to check the border between Texas and the United States. He also wanted to record the natural resources there. Another task was to see if it would be better to encourage European settlers to move to Texas.
In 1828, General Terán gathered a team of scientists and military experts. They first went to Laredo. He wrote about this journey in his own diary. Two members of his team, José María de Sánchez y Tapia and Jean-Louis Berlandier, also kept diaries.
They continued their trip, stopping in San Antonio, San Felipe, and Gonzales. They tried to go on to Nacogdoches. But illnesses and broken equipment made the journey hard. Their wagons struggled on the poor roads. When they reached the Trinity River, Mier y Terán chose only eight men to cross with horses. He sent the rest of the team back with the wagons and most of the equipment.
Leading the Northeastern Provinces
After returning to Mexico, General Terán became the second-in-command to Antonio López de Santa Anna. They defended Tampico against a Spanish invasion in 1829. Their success made them both national heroes.
Mier y Terán was considered a strong choice for president. But he lost his chance when Santa Anna and Lorenzo de Zavala led a quick change in government. This briefly made Vicente Guerrero president. The next year, another change in government brought Anastasio Bustamante to power. He named Mier y Terán as the military and civil leader for the northeastern provinces. This gave Terán authority over Coahuila y Tejas, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.
His headquarters were in Matamoros. In November 1831, he arrived at Galveston Bay to check the port of Anahuac. He appointed George Fisher as the new customs agent there. Many people in Texas were smuggling goods and avoiding taxes. So, Mier y Terán also gave Fisher authority over the mouth of the Brazos River.
The general told John Davis Bradburn to collect fees for land titles. He also told him to remove an unauthorized local government in Liberty. These changes led to the Anahuac Disturbances. This was an uprising that helped start the Texas Revolution in 1836.
In 1832, there was an uprising against President Anastasio Bustamante. Mier y Terán tried to stop the rebels but was defeated by Esteban Moctezuma's forces. This made Terán feel very sad about Mexico's future. He was one of the leaders who felt they had failed to build a strong nation after independence. As commander in Texas, he saw the northern region possibly being lost to American settlers. He also worried about Spain trying to take Mexico back again.
He wrote, "I believe that the Spaniards can only cause us temporary damages; the serious and permanent ones are reserved for our own hands, and those of the North American neighbors." He also wrote to Lucas Alamán the day before he died. He asked how Mexico could keep Texas if its own people kept fighting each other. He died in Padilla, the same place where Emperor Agustín de Iturbide had been executed in 1824. Mier y Terán's remains were buried with Iturbide's, as he wished. In 1838, the emperor's bones were moved to Mexico City.
Family Life
General Terán was the youngest of three sons. His parents were Manuel de Mier y Terán and María Ignacia de Teruel y Llanos.
Lasting Legacy
The city of General Terán in Nuevo León, Mexico, is named in his honor. However, Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas, was named after Francisco Mier y Torre. He was the governor of Nuevo León from 1710 to 1714.
A place called Fort Terán on the Neches River in modern Tyler County, Texas, was also named after him.
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Mier y Terán para niños
- Fort Tenoxtitlán, established 1813
External Sources
- Manuel de Mier y Terán from the Handbook of Texas Online
- McKeehan, Wallace. Manuel de Mier y Terán 1789-1832. Sons of DeWitt Colony, Texas, Website.
