Valentín Canalizo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
General Valentín Canalizo
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| 13th President of Mexico | |
| In office 7 September 1843 – 4 June 1844 |
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| Preceded by | Antonio López de Santa Anna |
| Succeeded by | Antonio López de Santa Anna |
| In office 21 September 1844 – 6 December 1844 |
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| Preceded by | José Joaquín de Herrera |
| Succeeded by | José Joaquín de Herrera |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 January 1794 Monterrey, New Kingdom of León, Viceroyalty of New Spain |
| Died | 20 February 1850 (aged 56) Mexico, Mexico |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Josefa Dávila |
Valentín Canalizo (born January 14, 1794 – died February 20, 1850) was an important Mexican general and leader. He served as the temporary president of Mexico two times. This was during a period called the Centralist Republic of Mexico. Later, he became the Minister of War during the Mexican American War.
After Santa Anna changed the country's rules in 1843, he chose Canalizo to be the temporary president. Canalizo was seen as a "puppet ruler," meaning he followed Santa Anna's orders. Santa Anna was then elected president in 1844. He took over in June of that year. A few months later, Santa Anna's wife passed away. He took a break, and Canalizo became temporary president again.
Later, a general named Mariano Paredes started a rebellion. Santa Anna took charge of the army to stop it. The government leaders (Congress) said this was against the law because Santa Anna was not president at the time. But Canalizo's government supported Santa Anna. They even closed down Congress, which made many people angry. This led to Canalizo losing his power. After his time as president, he left Mexico. He returned to serve as Minister of War during the Mexican-American War. He passed away in 1850.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Valentín Canalizo was born in Monterrey, Mexico. He joined the army in 1811, right after the War of Mexican Independence began. He quickly moved up in rank. At first, he fought for Spain, but in 1820, he joined the Mexican independence movement led by Agustin de Iturbide. He fought in several important battles. He was even wounded in one battle and was promoted for his bravery.
After Mexico became independent, he helped in the movement that ended the First Mexican Empire. In 1825, he became a sergeant major. He worked with another future president, General Jose Joaquin Herrera. In 1829, he joined a plan that led to a change in government. For his help in this successful change, he was made a colonel.
Canalizo was sent to help bring peace to different areas of Mexico. He fought against rebel groups. In 1831, he became a general and was put in charge of the state of Oaxaca. He tried to stop a rebellion against the government. When that rebellion succeeded, Canalizo accepted the new government.
In 1833, he joined a movement that changed Mexico from a republic to a centralist government. He then became the governor of the State of Mexico. He continued to lead military campaigns against small rebellions. In 1838, he tried to capture Tampico but was stopped. He later defeated another general, Canales, and was called back to Mexico City.
First Time as President
In 1843, Antonio López de Santa Anna chose Canalizo to be the temporary president. Santa Anna wanted to control the country from behind the scenes. Canalizo was chosen because he was loyal and not a threat to Santa Anna's power. He was officially appointed on October 2, 1843. However, many people saw him as a "puppet" president.
During his first time as president, Canalizo did several things:
- He helped create the Sisters of Charity.
- He set aside money for the College of San Gregorio.
- He made rules for public education.
- He arranged for new uniforms for the army and navy.
One issue during his time was the high taxes. The country was not rich, but taxes were placed on many things, like land, businesses, salaries, and even a head tax (a tax per person).
In January 1844, the government leaders (Congress) met. They announced that Santa Anna had been elected president. Many members of Congress did not like Santa Anna. They tried to limit his power and stop him from making new laws on his own. There was even a try to remove Canalizo from his temporary role, but it failed.
Santa Anna finally arrived in the capital on June 3. Canalizo officially gave power to him the next day.
Second Time as President
Santa Anna's wife passed away on August 31, 1844. He asked the government leaders (Chamber of Deputies) for time off. The Senate, which could choose a temporary president, again chose Canalizo. So, he became president once more on September 21, 1844. About a month later, on October 31, General Mariano Paredes started another rebellion.
Santa Anna returned to the capital to lead the army against the rebels. He arrived in Mexico City on November 18. Since he was not officially president at the time, Congress said Santa Anna taking military command was illegal. But Canalizo's government supported him.
Santa Anna went to Querétaro, where Paredes had support. He ordered the local assembly to stop supporting Paredes. When they refused, Santa Anna put the assembly members in prison. He replaced the governor with one of his own generals. When this news reached the capital, a representative from Querétaro protested. The government ministers decided to meet with Santa Anna. They then decided to close down Congress.
On December 1, the military closed the doors of the legislative building. The government said this was needed because of the national emergency. But this caused public protests. The city council of Mexico City and the local assembly sided with Congress. A statue of Santa Anna was even damaged.
By this time, soldiers in the capital started supporting Paredes' rebellion. They called for Jose Joaquin Herrera to become president. Herrera asked Canalizo to support Congress and avoid fighting. Seeing that he had lost support, Canalizo stepped down. He handed the presidency to Jose Joaquin Herrera on December 6.
After the Presidency
After leaving office, Canalizo was put on trial. He was accused of trying to overthrow the government. Canalizo said he only wanted to temporarily stop Congress because of the difficult situation. Congress later passed a law that forgave many people, but Canalizo chose to leave the country. He went to Spain in October 1845.
He returned during the Mexican American War in 1846. He became the Minister of War under President Valentin Gomez Farias. He supported the government's plan to take over Catholic Church lands to pay for the war. He left this role on February 23 and was given a military command to defend Veracruz.
He was in charge of the cavalry (horseback soldiers) at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. His actions during that battle, where he retreated without fighting and left many supplies, led to a call for an investigation by Congress. After this, he did not play a major role in the war. He never held a political job again. He passed away quietly on February 20, 1850.
See also
In Spanish: Valentín Canalizo para niños
