Manuel de la Peña y Peña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manuel de la Peña y Peña
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Oil portrait of Don Manuel de la Peña y Peña, oil on canvas, Museo Nacional de Historia.
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| 18th President of Mexico | |
| In office 16 September 1847 – 13 November 1847 |
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| Preceded by | Antonio López de Santa Anna |
| Succeeded by | Pedro María de Anaya |
| In office 8 January 1848 – 3 June 1848 |
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| Preceded by | Pedro María de Anaya |
| Succeeded by | José Joaquín de Herrera |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 March 1789 Tacubaya, New Spain |
| Died | 2 January 1850 (aged 60) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Resting place | Panteón de Dolores |
José Manuel de la Peña y Peña (born March 10, 1789 – died January 2, 1850) was a Mexican lawyer and judge. He served as president of Mexico two times, one right after the other, during the Mexican American War. Unlike many other Mexican presidents in the 1800s, he was not a military leader. Instead, he came from a very respected legal background.
He was in charge of talking to other countries (called a foreign minister). He was also part of a group that wanted peace. This group, under President Jose Joaquin Herrera, tried to avoid war with the United States when tensions were high. After people who wanted to fight took over from Herrera, war began. It had very bad results for Mexico.
Peña y Peña was elected president twice in the last months of the war. This happened while peace talks were going on. During his time as president, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was agreed upon and officially approved.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peña y Peña was born in Tacuba on March 10, 1789. His family was not rich. After finishing elementary school, he went to a special school called the Tridentine Seminary. He got excellent grades and won many awards there. He studied grammar, public speaking, philosophy, and different types of law. He even won a scholarship.
He was very good at studying law. His teacher, Jose Gonzales Retana, said he would have a great career.
He became a lawyer on December 16, 1811, during the Mexican War of Independence. Two years later, he became the main lawyer for the Mexico City council (Ayuntamiento). He did such a good job for the king's government that in 1820, he was offered a job on a high court in Quito. But Peña y Peña wanted to stay in New Spain (Mexico). He asked to be given a job on one of the high courts there. While this was being decided, Mexico won its independence in September 1821. On May 19, 1822, Mexico became an empire with Agustin Iturbide as its Emperor.
Career as a Judge
Peña y Peña became a judge on the Real Audiencia of Mexico, which handled both civil and criminal cases. He stayed in that job until October 21, 1822. He was already a member of the state council. Emperor Iturbide then named him a high-ranking diplomat to Colombia. He also received an important award called the Cross of the Order of Guadalupe.
However, he never got to go to Colombia because the Empire fell in early 1823. The next government, called the Supreme Executive Power, put him back on the high court. Then, on December 25, 1824, Peña y Peña was chosen by most state lawmakers to join the Supreme Court. He would work there on and off until he died.
During the time of the Centralist Republic of Mexico, President Anastasio Bustamante named him Minister of the Interior in 1837. This meant he was in charge of things inside the country. The next year, he was named to the Supreme Moderating Power. This was a very powerful group that was supposed to be even above the president. In this role, he tried to balance the ideas of the federalists. These were people who wanted states to have more power. They had support from parts of the military and many people.
He wrote a detailed report about changing the constitution. He also helped to change the law for punishing robbery. Peña y Peña was also a law professor at the University of Mexico. In late 1841, he was asked to write new civil laws. He also became part of a group that wrote a new constitution, called the Bases Orgánicas. In 1843, he joined the state council. He was also elected to the senate and re-elected in November 1845. There, he became Minister of Foreign Relations again. He agreed with President Herrera's goal of avoiding war with the United States. He was asked to work on an agreement to send criminals back to Spain. When Herrera was removed from power in December 1846, Peña y Peña went back to his job on the Supreme Court.
First Time as President
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| First Presidency of Manuel de la Peña y Peña | ||
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| Office | Name | Term |
| Relations | Luis de la Rosa | 26 September 1847 – 13 November 1847 |
| Justice | Luis de la Rosa | 26 September 1847 – 13 November 1847 |
| Treasury | Luis de la Rosa | 26 September 1847 – 13 November 1847 |
| War | Luis de la Rosa | 26 September 1847 – 13 November 1847 |
He was still a judge when the Mexican American War started in April 1846. A year later, American soldiers were getting close to Mexico City. President Santa Anna wanted to make sure someone would be in charge if he was killed or captured. So, on September 7, 1847, he issued an order naming his replacements. He sent this order to Peña y Peña, who was the President of the Supreme Court.
On September 16, Santa Anna held a meeting and resigned as president. He ordered that three people, led by the Supreme Court President, should take over. Peña y Peña accepted the presidency. But he said that having three leaders was against the constitution. He went to Toluca and then to Querétaro. There, he became the temporary president on September 26. Luis de la Rosa took charge of all four government departments.
On October 13, 1847, Peña y Peña published a public statement. He explained that even though he was not well, he was doing his duty as required by the constitution. He promised that he would only be in power for a short time. He also explained his beliefs and how he planned to lead with honor. He asked the states to stay loyal to the central government. He also asked them to provide weapons and money for the war. He promised to protect the public, everyone's rights, and the Catholic religion.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Congress joined him in Querétaro. President Peña y Peña believed the war could not continue because there was no money. He now wanted to make peace. He released all American prisoners of war. He also took steps against corruption and groups of fighters who were not authorized. On November 9, Congress elected Pedro Maria Anaya as interim president. His term would end on January 8, 1848. If Congress was not meeting then, the presidency would go to the next person in line according to the constitution. President Peña y Peña stepped down on November 12, 1847. But he stayed in the government as Minister of Relations.
Second Time as President
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| Second Presidency of Manuel de la Peña y Peña< | ||
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When Anaya's temporary term ended on January 8, 1848, Congress was not meeting. Peña y Peña was next in line to be president, so he took the job again. He published a statement explaining his hope that Congress could meet. He urged state governors to help make this happen. He also promised to stop any remaining state capitals from falling to the enemy. Luis de La Rosa, who was in charge of both Finance and Relations, also worked to get Congress to meet.
The Peña y Peña government hoped that getting Congress back together would stop groups that wanted to break away from Mexico. The lawmakers in San Luis Potosí even suggested they would stop recognizing the federal government in Querétaro. This was because they disagreed with its peace efforts. Rebellions were also happening in the northern states and in the state of Mexico.
President Peña y Peña realized that much of the trouble was because too many government workers had nothing to do. So, he ordered that the Ministry of War and military offices be filled. He also published rules about this. Meanwhile, he kept talking with the United States government through their representative, Nicholas Trist. A peace treaty was finally signed on February 2, 1848, in the town of Guadalupe. Bernardo Cuoto, Luis Gonzaga Cuevas, and Miguel Atristain were there for the signing.
Minister Luis de la Rosa told the state governors that the treaty would be sent to Congress for approval. He also said there would be a temporary stop to fighting while the lawmakers gathered. The U.S. Senate approved the treaty with a few small changes.
Most of the state governors accepted the treaty. The temporary stop to fighting was signed in Querétaro by General Manuel Lombardini in early March. President Peña y Peña then formed a committee of seven people. This committee would manage things in the capital city area, like police and money. Another group was formed to take care of the national archives (important historical documents).
Congress finally met in May. At its first meeting, President Peña y Peña suggested a policy of peace. He also talked about the progress made in keeping order and managing money, despite many challenges. He explained that as Minister of Foreign Relations under President José Joaquín de Herrera, he had been against the war. He said that he did not see this as dishonorable. He believed that even the strongest countries sometimes have to face the fact that they cannot win every war. He said that Mexico simply could not continue the war. He stated that anyone who thought this stance was dishonorable was not honest.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Congress in Querétaro now had to agree to a peace treaty with the invading Americans. They also had to deal with groups wanting to break away and general chaos spreading across the country. The Caste War was happening in Yucatán, and rebels had taken over major cities. Many states saw the federal government as an enemy and refused to pay taxes. Also, in the capital city area, some Mexicans wanted the entire country to join the United States.
Most members of Congress supported the government's peace plan. They saw the Treaty of Guadalupe as simply the sad result of a war that was not fought well. From this point of view, it was a national necessity. A foreign relations committee answered two questions from Congress. They said yes to: Can the government, with Congress's approval, give away part of its land? And: Is it a good idea to make peace on the terms that have been suggested? The first question was answered by saying that Congress had the right to decide for the country. The second question was answered by considering that Mexico had never fully controlled the lands that were about to be given away. Most of that land was either empty or lived in by unfriendly native groups. It was also clear that Mexico could not continue the war without losing for sure and risking losing the entire country.
After the committee shared its findings, Congress approved the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. President Peña y Peña then worked on orders to prevent chaos in the capital once the American soldiers left. He also worked on creating a national guard (a military force for emergencies). On May 26, 1848, the government welcomed the American representatives, Nathan Clifford and Ambrose Hundley Sevier. They were in Mexico to finalize the treaty after Congress had approved it with a few small changes.
Meanwhile, the President had to deal with small groups of fighters (guerillas) across the country. These groups attacked both the American soldiers and Mexican merchants. Their goal was to stop American supplies from reaching the capital from Veracruz. This also led to American soldiers attacking people without checking who they were. As the peace treaty was finished and the American soldiers were about to leave, Congress named Jose Joaquin Herrera as the new president. Peña y Peña left his job as president and became the president of the Supreme Court on June 3, 1848. The government then left Querétaro and returned to the capital.
Death
Less than two years after the war ended, Peña y Peña died on the evening of January 2, 1850. His funeral was a very important public event. His body was displayed for three days in the halls where the Supreme Court met. A parade of important people, including religious leaders, politicians, and university professors, walked with his coffin to the National Cathedral. There, Peña y Peña was laid to rest.
See also
In Spanish: Manuel de la Peña y Peña para niños
