Manuel González
Encyclopedia
Manuel del Refugio González Flores (18 June 1833 – 10 April 1893) was a military general and Mexican politician, who eventually served as the 31st president of Mexico
from 1880 to 1884. It is worth mentioning, however, that Manuel González is the first president of Mexico from Tamaulipas
that has been elected through popular vote; Emilio Portes Gil
, also from Tamaulipas, became the interim president of Mexico after the assassination of Álvaro Obregón
. Before initiating his presidential career, González played important roles in the French Intervention in Mexico
as a lieutenant, and later in the War of Reform as general, along with the Conservative Party. Moreover, González was governor of Michoacán
(1877) and Guanajuato
(1885); he also served as Secretary of National Defense from 1878 to 1879.
, Tamaulipas
, Mexico. He began his military career in 1847, fighting the invaders from the United States after they killed his father, a farmer. From 1853 to 1855 he fought with the Conservative forces supporting General Antonio López de Santa Anna
. At the time of the Plan de Ayutla
in 1854, he was with Conservative General Leonardo Márquez
in Oaxaca, fighting against Liberal Porfirio Díaz
.
In 1856 he was wounded at the Battle of Ocotlán
, fighting with rebels against President Ignacio Comonfort
. In March 1859 he took part in an attack on Veracruz
by Conservative General Miguel Miramón
, against the legal, Liberal government of President Benito Juárez
. In 1860 he took advantage of an amnesty for the Conservatives decreed by Congress, and offered his services to the Liberals fighting against Maximilian of Habsburg and the French invasion.
González served under Porfirio Díaz. He participated in the defense of Puebla against the French in 1862. He was wounded and taken prisoner, but escaped. In 1863 Díaz made him chief of the Army of the Center. He fought under Díaz in the battles of Miahuatlán
and La Carbonera
, Oaxaca.
González was taken prisoner by the French a second time in 1865, but he was paroled and rejoined the Mexican army. In 1867 he participated in the sieges of Puebla
(where he lost his right arm), and of Mexico City. On 7 September 1867, after Juárez's forces had retaken the capital, the president named him military commander of the Federal District and governor of the National Palace.
From 1871 to 1873 he was a federal congressional deputy from Oaxaca
. He supported Díaz in revolt under the Plan de La Noria
(Díaz's 1871 unsuccessful revolt against Juárez) and the Plan de Tuxtepec (his successful 1876 revolt against then-President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
).
On 13 March 1877 he obtained the rank of general of division. Díaz named him governor and military commander of Michoacán
(1877–79) and secretary of war and the navy (28 April 1878 to 15 November 1879).
was inaugurated and the Banco Nacional de México was founded. Relations with Great Britain were renewed, and Mexico recognized the British debt claims under onerous conditions. This latter concession provoked disturbances in the capital.
He issued nickel coins, which provoked rioting on 21 December 1883. With his characteristic valor, he appeared before the rioters, actually receiving cheers before he finished speaking.
He established agricultural and industrial colonies of 1,500 Italians in the state of Puebla. He declared primary education to be free and obligatory. He inaugurated Mexico's first submarine cable. On 20 December 1882, the metric system of measurements was established in Mexico. A dispute with Guatemala
over Chiapas
and Soconusco
was resolved peacefully.
During his term, the Constitution of 1857 was amended to remove the right of succession to the presidency from the office of president of the Supreme Court. Instead, the president of the Senate was named next in succession, or the president of the Permanent Commission, in the event that the Senate was in recess.
González's administration was generally one of technical progress in Mexico, but there was also much corruption. When Díaz reoccupied the presidency in 1884 he found the treasury empty.
"unanimously" in 1884 and served in office until his death in 1893, after a failed attempt to succeed General Díaz in 1887.
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
from 1880 to 1884. It is worth mentioning, however, that Manuel González is the first president of Mexico from Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
that has been elected through popular vote; Emilio Portes Gil
Emilio Portes Gil
Emilio Cándido Portes Gil was President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930.-Biography:Portes Gil was born in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of the state of Tamaulipas in northeast Mexico....
, also from Tamaulipas, became the interim president of Mexico after the assassination of Álvaro Obregón
Álvaro Obregón
General Álvaro Obregón Salido was the President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. He was assassinated in 1928, shortly after winning election to another presidential term....
. Before initiating his presidential career, González played important roles in the French Intervention in Mexico
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
as a lieutenant, and later in the War of Reform as general, along with the Conservative Party. Moreover, González was governor of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
(1877) and Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
(1885); he also served as Secretary of National Defense from 1878 to 1879.
Early life and military career
González was born in MatamorosMatamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, Mexico. He began his military career in 1847, fighting the invaders from the United States after they killed his father, a farmer. From 1853 to 1855 he fought with the Conservative forces supporting General Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
. At the time of the Plan de Ayutla
Plan of Ayutla
The Plan of Ayutla was a plan aimed at removing Antonio López de Santa Anna as dictator of Mexico. Initially drafted on February 24, 1854, by Colonel Florencio Villarreal, it was proclaimed on March 1, 1854, in Ayutla, Guerrero...
in 1854, he was with Conservative General Leonardo Márquez
Leonardo Marquez
Leonardo Márquez was a Mexican general. He fought against the United States in the Intervention of 1846-1848 and was a prominent supporter of Antonio López de Santa Anna in the revolutionary movement of 1849...
in Oaxaca, fighting against Liberal Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
.
In 1856 he was wounded at the Battle of Ocotlán
Ocotlán
Ocotlán is a city and municipality in Jalisco, Mexico. Its industry includes furniture production.-Toponymy:The toponym Ocotlán means: "near the pines" or "place of the ocote ". Ocote is from the Náhuatl ocōtl, Pinus montezumae, a species of pine, .-History:Ocotlán was founded in 1530. Two main...
, fighting with rebels against President Ignacio Comonfort
Ignacio Comonfort
Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos was a Mexican politician and military officer who served as President of Mexico....
. In March 1859 he took part in an attack on Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
by Conservative General Miguel Miramón
Miguel Miramón
Miguel Gregorio de la Luz Atenógenes Miramón y Tarelo was a Mexican conservative general. He served as unconstitutional interim conservative president of Mexico .Miramón was born in Mexico City into a family of French heritage...
, against the legal, Liberal government of President Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
. In 1860 he took advantage of an amnesty for the Conservatives decreed by Congress, and offered his services to the Liberals fighting against Maximilian of Habsburg and the French invasion.
González served under Porfirio Díaz. He participated in the defense of Puebla against the French in 1862. He was wounded and taken prisoner, but escaped. In 1863 Díaz made him chief of the Army of the Center. He fought under Díaz in the battles of Miahuatlán
Battle of Miahuatlán
The Battle of Miahuatlán took place on 3 October 1866 in the vicinity of the current municipality of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico...
and La Carbonera
Battle of La Carbonera
The Battle of La Carbonera was fought on 18 October 1866 during the French intervention in Mexico.-Background:Having triumphed over the Imperial forces in the Battle of Miahuatlán, the Republican General Porfirio Díaz besieged the city of Oaxaca, defended by the conservative General Carlos...
, Oaxaca.
González was taken prisoner by the French a second time in 1865, but he was paroled and rejoined the Mexican army. In 1867 he participated in the sieges of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
(where he lost his right arm), and of Mexico City. On 7 September 1867, after Juárez's forces had retaken the capital, the president named him military commander of the Federal District and governor of the National Palace.
From 1871 to 1873 he was a federal congressional deputy from Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. He supported Díaz in revolt under the Plan de La Noria
Plan de la Noria
The Plan de la Noria was a revolutionary call to arms with the intent of ousting Mexican President Benito Juárez. The plan was drafted by Porfirio Díaz immediately following his defeat by Juárez in the presidential election of 1871. Neither Juárez, Díaz, nor the third candidate Sebastián Lerdo de...
(Díaz's 1871 unsuccessful revolt against Juárez) and the Plan de Tuxtepec (his successful 1876 revolt against then-President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada y Corral was a jurist and Liberal president of Mexico.-Background:...
).
On 13 March 1877 he obtained the rank of general of division. Díaz named him governor and military commander of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
(1877–79) and secretary of war and the navy (28 April 1878 to 15 November 1879).
As president of the Republic
After elections, Congress declared him president. He served from 1 December 1880 to 30 November 1884, both proceeded and succeeded by Porfirio Díaz. Díaz was a minister in his government. During his administration, the railway from Mexico City to El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
was inaugurated and the Banco Nacional de México was founded. Relations with Great Britain were renewed, and Mexico recognized the British debt claims under onerous conditions. This latter concession provoked disturbances in the capital.
He issued nickel coins, which provoked rioting on 21 December 1883. With his characteristic valor, he appeared before the rioters, actually receiving cheers before he finished speaking.
He established agricultural and industrial colonies of 1,500 Italians in the state of Puebla. He declared primary education to be free and obligatory. He inaugurated Mexico's first submarine cable. On 20 December 1882, the metric system of measurements was established in Mexico. A dispute with Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
over Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and Soconusco
Soconusco
Soconusco is a region of the Mexican state of Chiapas, located in the extreme south of the state and separated from Guatemala by the Suchiate River. It is a region of rich lowlands and foothills. The economic center is Tapachula. Soconusco consists of 16 municipalities.The name comes from the...
was resolved peacefully.
During his term, the Constitution of 1857 was amended to remove the right of succession to the presidency from the office of president of the Supreme Court. Instead, the president of the Senate was named next in succession, or the president of the Permanent Commission, in the event that the Senate was in recess.
González's administration was generally one of technical progress in Mexico, but there was also much corruption. When Díaz reoccupied the presidency in 1884 he found the treasury empty.
After the presidency
After his presidency, he was charged of misappropriation of public funds by the Congress and the case was referred to a Grand Jury, but the charges were never pressed. Instead, González was elected governor of GuanajuatoGuanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
"unanimously" in 1884 and served in office until his death in 1893, after a failed attempt to succeed General Díaz in 1887.
Further reading
- "González, Manuel," Enciclopedia de México, vol. 6. Mexico City, 1996, ISBN 1-56409-016-7.
- García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 2. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
- Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5.