Manuel de Mier y Terán
Encyclopedia
José Manuel Rafael Simeón de Mier y Terán (February 18, 1789 — July 3, 1832), commonly called Manuel de Mier y Terán or General Teran, was a Mexican
general
involved in the Mexican
and Texan revolutions.
in 1811. The same year, he joined the cause of Mexican independence under José Morelos
. As a lieutenant colonel
, he fought under Ignacio Rayón
and captured the region of the modern province of Puebla
. In 1814, he besieged the Royalist forces at Silacayoapan in Oaxaca
; although unsuccessful, the campaign elevated him to colonel
. He failed in an attempt to become leader of the rebels and, after seeing combat in Puebla and Veracruz
, surrendered at Tehuacán.
Following the Embrace of Acatempán, Colonel Terán joined the Army of the Three Guarantees
under General Nicolás Bravo
. He was elected to the First Mexican Congress as the representative for Chiapas
and served on its committee for the colonization of unoccupied territory. Two years later, he made brigadier general
and served as Minister of War under President Guadalupe Victoria
, although he resigned within nine months over differences with the administration.
He then served as State Inspector at Veracruz, Mexican minister to England, and director of the Mexican School of Artillery.
as the head of the Comisión de Límites
. The expedition included mineralogist
Rafael Chovell, botanist
and artist Jean-Louis Berlandier
, and cartographer
José María Sánchez y Tapía. It was sent by Mexican President Guadalupe Victoria
to demarcate the American border established by the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1819 between the Sabine and Red Rivers. In addition, General Terán was tasked with reporting on the natural resources of the province, the condition of its Indians, and the number and disposition of any American or French settlers.
Travelling in a coach inlaid with silver over muddy roads, he reached San Antonio on March 1, San Felipe de Austin on April 27, and Nacogdoches on June 3. The expedition concluded its work January 16, 1829. His report stressed that resisting American expansion would require additional garrisons and increased trade. He also encouraged more Mexican and European settlement
. These recommendations were enacted in the law of April 6, 1830, which briefly prohibited slavery in Texas and closed the borders to legal American immigration. The law would be a major factor in fomenting the Texan Revolution.
during his defense of Tampico against the Spanish invasion of 1829. He participated in the Capitulation of Pueblo Viejo. Their success made them both national heroes. Considered a strong candidate for president, he lost his chance when Santa Anna and Zavala
's coup d'etat briefly gave the position to Vicente Guerrero
. The next year, another coup elevated Anastasio Bustamante
, who named Mier y Terán as his commandant general for the Eastern Interior Provinces
, giving Terán military and civil authority over the provinces of Coahuila y Tejas
, Nuevo León
, and Tamaulipas
.
Headquartered at the recently established Matamoros
, he arrived in Galveston Bay
in November, 1831, to review the port of Anahuac
and install the Serb
George Fisher
as its new customs agent. Texian
scofflaws had been smuggling
and evading taxes, so he granted Fisher authority over the mouth of the Brazos River
as well and instructed John Bradburn to enforce title fees and remove an unauthorized ayuntamiento
installed at Liberty
. These administrative changes led directly the Anahuac Disturbances
.
With the prospect of renewed civil war in Mexico and difficulties in Texas, Terán was in poor health and depressed. Following a Federalist victory near Matamoros on July 3, 1832, the general committed suicide, falling on his sword in the church of Padilla, Tamaulipas. It was the same location where Agustín de Iturbide
had been executed following his return from exile by the men of General de la Garza. The general's remains were buried with Iturbide's until 1938, when the emperor's bones were reintered in Mexico City.
in Nuevo León
, Mexico
, is named in his honor. Ciudad Mier
, Tamaulipas
, however, was named after Francisco Mier y Torre, the governor of Nuevo León
from 1710 to 1714.
He was also the namesake of Fort Terán
on the Neches River
in modern Tyler County, Texas.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
general
Army ranks and insignia of Mexico
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Mexican Army. Spanish language ranks are in italics, with English translation. Rank insignia of the Mexican Air Force and Mexican Army are identical, as are the ranks, with the exception of two general ranks...
involved in the Mexican
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
and Texan revolutions.
Early career
Mier y Terán graduated from the College of Mines in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1811. The same year, he joined the cause of Mexican independence under José Morelos
José María Morelos
José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1811...
. As a lieutenant colonel
Army ranks and insignia of Mexico
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Mexican Army. Spanish language ranks are in italics, with English translation. Rank insignia of the Mexican Air Force and Mexican Army are identical, as are the ranks, with the exception of two general ranks...
, he fought under Ignacio Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón led the revolutionary government of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, during the first years of the Mexican War of Independence....
and captured the region of the modern province 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....
. In 1814, he besieged the Royalist forces at Silacayoapan in 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...
; although unsuccessful, the campaign elevated him to colonel
Army ranks and insignia of Mexico
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Mexican Army. Spanish language ranks are in italics, with English translation. Rank insignia of the Mexican Air Force and Mexican Army are identical, as are the ranks, with the exception of two general ranks...
. He failed in an attempt to become leader of the rebels and, after seeing combat in Puebla and Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, surrendered at Tehuacán.
Following the Embrace of Acatempán, Colonel Terán joined the Army of the Three Guarantees
Army of the Three Guarantees
At the end of the Mexican War of Independence, the Army of the Three Guarantees was the name given to the army after the unification of the Spanish troops led by Agustín de Iturbide and the Mexican insurgent troops of Vicente Guerrero, consolidating Mexico's independence from Spain...
under General Nicolás Bravo
Nicolás Bravo
Nicolás Bravo was a Mexican politician and soldier. He distinguished himself in both offices during the 1846–1848 U.S. invasion of Mexico....
. He was elected to the First Mexican Congress as the representative for 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 served on its committee for the colonization of unoccupied territory. Two years later, he made brigadier general
Army ranks and insignia of Mexico
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Mexican Army. Spanish language ranks are in italics, with English translation. Rank insignia of the Mexican Air Force and Mexican Army are identical, as are the ranks, with the exception of two general ranks...
and served as Minister of War under President Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican politician and military man who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence. He was a deputy for Durango and a member of the Supreme Executive Power...
, although he resigned within nine months over differences with the administration.
He then served as State Inspector at Veracruz, Mexican minister to England, and director of the Mexican School of Artillery.
Texas Boundary Commission
General Terán first came to TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
as the head of the Comisión de Límites
Boundary Commission
Boundary Commission may refer to:* Boundary Commissions of the United Kingdom* Boundary Commission between the United Kingdom and Ireland* Boundary Commission of the Pacific Northwest* Boundary Commission of Maine...
. The expedition included mineralogist
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
Rafael Chovell, botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and artist Jean-Louis Berlandier
Jean-Louis Berlandier
Jean-Louis Berlandier was a French naturalist, physician, and anthropologist.Berlandier was born in rural Fort de l'Écluse, near France's border with Switzerland, and trained as a botanist in Geneva...
, and cartographer
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
José María Sánchez y Tapía. It was sent by Mexican President Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican politician and military man who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence. He was a deputy for Durango and a member of the Supreme Executive Power...
to demarcate the American border established by the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1819 between the Sabine and Red Rivers. In addition, General Terán was tasked with reporting on the natural resources of the province, the condition of its Indians, and the number and disposition of any American or French settlers.
Travelling in a coach inlaid with silver over muddy roads, he reached San Antonio on March 1, San Felipe de Austin on April 27, and Nacogdoches on June 3. The expedition concluded its work January 16, 1829. His report stressed that resisting American expansion would require additional garrisons and increased trade. He also encouraged more Mexican and European settlement
Immigration to Mexico
Immigration to Mexico. Over the centuries, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, the Americas, and sometimes Asia, such as other countries in the Americas like the United States, Argentina, Brazil and Canada. Today, millions of their descendants still live in the country and can be found...
. These recommendations were enacted in the law of April 6, 1830, which briefly prohibited slavery in Texas and closed the borders to legal American immigration. The law would be a major factor in fomenting the Texan Revolution.
Commandant
Returned to Mexico, General Terán served as second in command to Santa AnnaAntonio 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...
during his defense of Tampico against the Spanish invasion of 1829. He participated in the Capitulation of Pueblo Viejo. Their success made them both national heroes. Considered a strong candidate for president, he lost his chance when Santa Anna and Zavala
Lorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
's coup d'etat briefly gave the position to Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and served briefly as President of Mexico...
. The next year, another coup elevated Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante y Oseguera was president of Mexico three times, from 1830 to 1832, from 1837 to 1839 and from 1839 to 1841. He was a Conservative. He first came to power by leading a coup against president Vicente Guerrero...
, who named Mier y Terán as his commandant general for the Eastern Interior Provinces
Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas
The Provincias Internas or Commandancy General of the Internal Provinces of the North was a colonial, administrative district of the Spanish Empire, created in 1776 to provide more autonomy for the frontier provinces in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, present day northern Mexico and southwestern...
, giving Terán military and civil authority over the provinces of Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.It had two capitals: first Saltillo, and then Monclova...
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, and 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...
.
Headquartered at the recently established Matamoros
Matamoros, 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...
, he arrived in Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
in November, 1831, to review the port of Anahuac
Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas.- History :...
and install the Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
George Fisher
George Fisher (settler)
George Fisher was a customs officer and early leader of the Texas Revolution.Fisher was born to Serbian parents in Székesfehérvár, Hungary in April 1795...
as its new customs agent. Texian
Texian
Texian is an archaic, mostly defunct 19th century demonym which defined a settler of current-day Texas, one of the southern states of the United States of America which borders the country of Mexico...
scofflaws had been smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
and evading taxes, so he granted Fisher authority over the mouth of the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
as well and instructed John Bradburn to enforce title fees and remove an unauthorized ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
installed at Liberty
Liberty, Texas
Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Texas, United States and a part of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 8,033 at the 2000 census....
. These administrative changes led directly the Anahuac Disturbances
Anahuac Disturbances
The Anahuac Disturbances were uprisings of settlers in and around Anahuac, Texas in 1832 and 1835 which helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution. This eventually led to the territory's secession from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas...
.
With the prospect of renewed civil war in Mexico and difficulties in Texas, Terán was in poor health and depressed. Following a Federalist victory near Matamoros on July 3, 1832, the general committed suicide, falling on his sword in the church of Padilla, Tamaulipas. It was the same location where Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
had been executed following his return from exile by the men of General de la Garza. The general's remains were buried with Iturbide's until 1938, when the emperor's bones were reintered in Mexico City.
Family
General Terán was the oldest of the three sons of Manuel de Mier y Terán and his wife María Ignacia de Teruel y Llanos. He married Josefa Velasco de Teruel in February, 1824. Their only son died shortly before General Terán's expedition to Texas around age 2.Legacy
The city of General TeránGeneral Terán
General Terán is a Mexico municipality located in Nuevo León. It was given its name in honour of General Manuel Mier y Terán.It has a 2,465 km² territorial extension...
in Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, is named in his honor. Ciudad Mier
Ciudad Mier
Mier , also known as El Paso del Cántaro, is a city in Mier Municipality in Tamaulipas, located in northern Mexico near the Rio Grande, just south of Falcon Dam. It is north east of Monterrey on Mexico Highway 2. In 1990 the population was recorded at 6,190. By the 2010 census, it had dropped...
, 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...
, however, was named after Francisco Mier y Torre, the governor of Nuevo León
Governor of Nuevo León
The Mexican state of Nuevo León has been governed by more than a hundred individuals in its history, who have had various titles and degrees of responsibility depending on the prevailing political regime of the time....
from 1710 to 1714.
He was also the namesake of Fort Terán
Fort Terán
Fort Terán was a former Mexican military post and Texian settlement located in Tyler County in East Texas. The post was named after Mexican general Manuel Mier y Terán....
on the Neches River
Neches River
The Neches River flows for through east Texas to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs, Lake Palestine and B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir are located on the Neches. Several cities are located along the Neches River Basin, including Evadale, Tyler, Lufkin, Silsbee,...
in modern Tyler County, Texas.
See also
- Fredonian Rebellion
- Anahuac DisturbancesAnahuac DisturbancesThe Anahuac Disturbances were uprisings of settlers in and around Anahuac, Texas in 1832 and 1835 which helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution. This eventually led to the territory's secession from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas...
- Texas by Terán: the Diary Kept by General Manuel de Mier y Terán on His 1828 Inspection of Texas at Google Books
Sources
- McKeehan, Wallace. Manuel de Mier y Terán 1789-1832. Sons of DeWitt Colony, Texas, Website.