Melchor Múzquiz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melchor Múzquiz
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| 5th President of Mexico | |
| In office 14 August 1832 – 24 December 1832 |
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| Preceded by | Anastasio Bustamante |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Gómez Pedraza |
| 1st Governor of the State of Mexico | |
| In office 12 March 1831 – 12 March 1834 |
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| Preceded by | Lorenzo de Zavala |
| Succeeded by | Lorenzo de Zavala |
| In office 27 September 1824 – 8 March 1827 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Gómez Pedraza |
| Succeeded by | Lorenzo de Zavala |
| In office 2 March 1824 – 4 March 1824 |
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| Preceded by | office established |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Gómez Pedraza |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 April 1788 Santa Rosa, New Spain (now Melchor Múzquiz City, Coahuila, Mexico) |
| Died | 14 December 1844 (aged 54) Mexico City |
| Nationality |  Mexican New Spanish (prior to 1821) |
| Spouse | Joaquina Bezares |
Melchor de Eca y Múzquiz (born January 5, 1790 – died December 14, 1844) was an important Mexican soldier and politician. He became the president of Mexico for a short time. This happened after the previous president, Anastasio Bustamante, stepped down. Bustamante left to lead his armies against a rebellion called the Plan of Veracruz.
Múzquiz tried hard to stop this rebellion. However, the rebels won, and Múzquiz had to leave his position in December 1832. The rebels chose Manuel Gomez Pedraza to be the new president.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Melchor Múzquiz was born in Santa Rosa, Coahuila, in 1790. He started his studies at a college in Mexico City. When the Mexican War of Independence began in 1810, he left school to join the fight.
He fought against the Spanish forces in Michoacán and Veracruz. He rose to the rank of colonel. At one point, he was captured and almost executed. Luckily, he was saved by an amnesty, which is like a pardon. But he refused to promise he wouldn't fight Spain again.
Starting a Political Career
After Mexico gained independence in 1821, Múzquiz joined Agustin de Iturbide's Plan of Iguala. By 1824, he became the governor of the State of Mexico. He was known for managing money well and keeping extra funds in the government budget.
Later, under President Guadalupe Victoria, Múzquiz became a brigadier general. He was put in charge of Puebla when a new rebellion, the Revolution of the Acordada, started. This rebellion was against the newly elected president, Manuel Gómez Pedraza. Múzquiz did not join the rebels. He also didn't fully support the government, as he felt it was controlled by the revolutionaries.
Eventually, President-elect Gómez Pedraza left the country. Múzquiz then recognized the new government led by Vicente Guerrero.
Supporting a New Leader
Just one year later, in 1829, Múzquiz actively supported another plan called the Plan of Jalapa. This plan aimed to remove President Guerrero from power. It wanted to replace him with the vice-president, Anastasio Bustamante. The rebel leaders even met at Múzquiz's home to discuss their plan. From then on, Múzquiz was seen as Bustamante's second-in-command.
The Plan of Veracruz Rebellion
On January 2, 1832, a new rebellion started in Veracruz. The rebels, who were liberals, wanted President Bustamante's ministers to be removed. Santa Anna, a famous general, joined this movement. He offered to help solve the conflict peacefully.
The government couldn't defeat Santa Anna. The rebellion then spread to Tamaulipas, where rebels won a battle at Tampico. More states joined the rebellion. They began to demand that Bustamante himself be replaced by Manuel Gomez Pedraza. Pedraza had won the 1828 elections but had to flee the country.
Some states, like San Luis Potosi, Michoacán, Chihuahua, Mexico, Puebla, and Tabasco, stayed loyal to Bustamante. But the rebellion kept growing stronger.
Becoming Interim President
The government was shocked when the loyal city of San Luis Potosi was captured by a rebel general on August 6. President Bustamante decided to personally lead his troops to fight the rebels. He stepped down as president, and on August 14, the lawmakers chose General Melchor Múzquiz to be the interim president. An interim president serves for a short time until a new leader is chosen.
President Múzquiz found it very hard to get money to pay the armies. He couldn't get loans because the country was in a civil war.
Bustamante defeated the rebel forces on September 18 and took back San Luis Potosi. But then, another general, Gabriel Valencia, joined the rebellion in the State of Mexico. This put Mexico City at risk. Bustamante turned his army back towards the capital.
Meanwhile, in Veracruz, Santa Anna finally defeated the government forces after six months. This allowed his army to march towards Mexico City, reaching Tacubaya on October 6.
The Múzquiz government tried hard to stay in power. They sent messages to loyal governors. Congress refused to negotiate with the rebels. Instead, they gave Múzquiz special emergency powers. They sent people to talk with Santa Anna, who was near the capital, but they couldn't agree.
However, Santa Anna moved away from Mexico City on November 6. He went to face Bustamante's army at Puebla and defeated him on November 16. By this time, the government had lost control of most of the country. Only Oaxaca and Chihuahua remained loyal.
Bustamante decided to stop fighting and started peace talks. They agreed to a ceasefire until Congress could approve a peace treaty. Múzquiz wanted to agree to the ceasefire, but Congress refused to give up. Múzquiz tried to resign on December 15, but his resignation was not accepted.
Bustamante, however, ignored Congress to prevent more fighting. He negotiated a peace treaty, which was approved on December 23, 1832. This was called the Treaty of Zavaleta. According to this treaty, Manuel Gomez Pedraza became the new president. Rebels told Múzquiz that he was free to go home.
Later Life and Legacy
After his presidency, Melchor Múzquiz stayed out of public life for a while. In 1836, Mexico changed its government. It became the Centralist Republic of Mexico, where the country was divided into departments instead of states. During this time, Múzquiz was the president of the Supreme Moderating Power. This was a special council that was even above the president.
He worked on changing laws about money, justice, and how the departments were run. He was appointed to the Supreme Moderating Power again in 1840. Melchor Múzquiz died on December 14, 1844. Even though he held important positions, he died without much money. After his death, his hometown was renamed in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Melchor Múzquiz para niños
