Miguel Barragán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel Barragán
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 9th President of Mexico | |
| In office 28 January 1835 – 27 February 1836 |
|
| Preceded by | Antonio López de Santa Anna |
| Succeeded by | José Justo Corro |
| 1st Governor of Veracruz | |
| In office 20 May 1825 – 5 January 1828 |
|
| Preceded by | office established |
| Succeeded by | José María Tornel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 March 1789 Ciudad del Maíz, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| Died | 1 March 1836 (aged 46) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Resting place | Mexico City Cathedral |
| Spouse | Manuela Trebesto y Casasola |
Miguel Francisco Barragán Andrade (born March 8, 1789 – died March 1, 1836) was a Mexican soldier and politician. He served as the temporary president of Mexico in 1836. Before that, he was the Governor of Veracruz.
Barragán became famous in 1824 for capturing the Fortress of San Juan de Ulúa. This important victory finally removed Spanish military presence from Mexico.
He first supported the federalist Constitution of 1824. But later, he joined the conservative Escoses Party. This party strongly criticized the Constitution. They wanted to change the First Mexican Republic into the Centralist Republic of Mexico. Barragán played a military role in this change.
During the Centralist Republic, Antonio López de Santa Anna chose Barragán to be president. Santa Anna left to fight rebellions against the new constitution, including the Texas Revolution. But Barragán became very sick and died while in office. His Minister of Justice, José Justo Corro, took over as president.
Contents
Early Life of Miguel Barragán
Miguel Barragán was born in 1789. His birthplace was Valle del Maíz, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. He went to school in the main city of the province.
After school, he joined the military. He was part of the Trigarantine Army. This army supported Agustin de Iturbide's Plan of Iguala. Barragán was against the First Mexican Empire. Because of this, he was put in prison. However, he was released when the Empire ended in 1823.
Governor of Veracruz
In June 1824, the Mexican government made Barragán the military commander of Veracruz. In September, the Veracruz government chose him to be their governor.
One of his first big tasks was dealing with the Spanish soldiers still in the Fortress of San Juan de Ulúa. He successfully blocked the fortress, cutting off its supplies.
Supporting the Constitution
Barragán strongly supported the new constitution. When Veracruz officials had to swear an oath to the Constitution of 1824, he spoke to the public. He told them that their rights and future were now safe under this new law. He called it "the worthy result of our founding fathers' efforts."
During his time as governor, he made important rules for the police. He always focused on the situation with San Juan de Ulúa. His presence helped stop a rebellion that started in Sacrificios. He also welcomed the American Minister Joel Poinsett and the Dutch minister, Quartel.
Capture of San Juan de Ulúa
Barragán talked with the Spanish commander at San Juan de Ulúa, Brigadier Coppinger. They used an English person to help them communicate. On November 5, 1824, the Spanish finally agreed to give up the Fortress of San Juan de Ulúa.
Mexican officials went to the fort to finish the talks. The agreement was confirmed on November 18. On November 23, the Mexican flag was raised over the fort. This was a huge moment for Mexico's independence.
The Veracruz government honored Barragán with a special sword. His name and the names of other commanders were written in gold in the government hall. The state of Veracruz was even called "heroic." Barragán was celebrated in Jalapa. The city council placed his picture in their main hall. They saw him as the person who finally completed Mexico's independence.
After capturing San Juan de Ulúa, Barragán went back to his governor duties. He asked cities for information about unused lands. He wanted to set them aside for new settlements. He also announced that Britain had recognized Mexico's independence. He ordered city leaders to keep clear records of all taxes from public lands. This helped ensure everything was fair.
Role in Political Conflicts
Barragán soon became involved in big political fights. These were between the Yorkino Party and the Escoses Party. President Guadalupe Victoria was a Yorkino, while Barragán was an Escoses. The Yorkino party wanted to remove all remaining Spaniards from the country.
When the government sent Ignacio Esteva to Veracruz, Barragán sent him away. This was against the law. Barragán was also linked to an Escoses protest. This protest asked to ban secret societies and remove Poinsett. Colonel José Rincón started a rebellion against Governor Barragán in Veracruz. The federal government sent General Guerrero to Xalapa, where Barragán lived. They managed to reach an agreement. Estava became commissioner, and Barragán stayed as governor.
Barragán also took part in the Plan of Montaño. This was led by Vice President Nicolás Bravo. The rebellion failed. Barragán was ironically put in prison at San Juan de Ulúa, the very fort he had captured. Then he was taken to the capital for trial. He was tried with Bravo. Because of their past service to the country, the court was kind to them. They were only ordered to leave the country. Barragán was exiled for six years. He was able to return to Mexico in 1829. This was thanks to a pardon given by President Vicente Guerrero.
Presidency of Mexico
 |
||
| Government of Miguel Barragán | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Name | Term |
| Relations | José María Gutiérrez de Estrada | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 |
| Jose Maria Ortiz Monasterio | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 | |
| Manuel Díez de Bonilla | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 | |
| Jose Maria Ortiz Monasterio | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 | |
| Justice | Agustin Torres | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 |
| Jose Mariano Blasco | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 | |
| José Justo Corro | 27 Feb 1836 – 19 Apr 1837 | |
| Treasury | Jose Mariano Blasco | 28 Jan 1835- 28 Aug 1835 |
| Manuel Díez de Bonilla | 29 Aug 1835 – 16 Sep 1835 | |
| Vicente Segura | 17 Sep 1835 – 30 Sep 1835 | |
| Juan Jose del Corral | 1 Oct 1835 – 12 Oct 1835 | |
| Antonio Vallejo | 13 Oct 1835 – 2 Feb 1836 | |
| Rafael Mangino y Mendívil | 3 Feb 1836 – 27 Feb 1836 | |
| War | José María Tornel | 28 Jan 1835 – 27 Feb 1836 |
During the presidency of Anastasio Bustamante, Barragán lived in San Pedro, near Guadalajara. He did not agree with Bustamante's government. He suggested a group of eighteen important citizens to reform the country. This led to him being criticized in the official newspaper.
He was made Minister of War under the government of Valentín Gómez Farias. But he joined Santa Anna when Santa Anna overthrew Gómez Farías in April 1834. The state of Jalisco was against this overthrow. Barragán was sent with General Quintanar to get their support. In January 1835, Congress named Barragán as the temporary President.
Challenges as President
As president, Barragán faced a rebellion in May 1835. Juan Álvarez led this uprising in Texca. He wanted Mexico to return to the federal system. However, requests came from other cities like Orizaba and Jalapa. They wanted to move away from the federal system and create a central government.
Another federalist rebellion in Zacatecas was stopped. On October 23, 1835, the congress declared itself a constitutional congress. A new constitution was written by Francisco Sanchez Tagle and Lucas Alaman. It was shared across the nation at the end of the year.
Barragán worked to raise money for the war against rebellious Texas. Santa Anna was heading there to fight. Barragán also had to deal with other rebellions. These were led by Jose Antonio Mejia, who wanted to bring back the federal system. Another federalist rebellion started in Tampico in December 1835. But most of the soldiers stayed loyal, and commander Gomez restored order. The next day, three ships with hired soldiers from New Orleans took over the fort of La Barra. This happened because Commander Ortega betrayed them. However, these attackers were defeated.
Barragán put in place strict rules to find army deserters. He ordered that foreigners and weapons meant for Texas should not pass through any coastal states. However, his health quickly got worse. He died on March 1, 1836, surrounded by friends and clergy. He was buried in the National Cathedral.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Barragán para niños
