Valentín Canalizo
Encyclopedia
Valentín Canalizo was a Mexican general and conservative politician. He was a supporter of a centralist (not federalist) national government and an obedient follower and confidante of General Antonio López de Santa Anna
. Canalizo served as acting president of Mexico
two times, for a total of about ten months in 1843 and 1844.
, whom he knew and respected, he swore allegiance to independent Mexico. After that he participated in the siege of Valladolid (Morelia
) and the capture of San Juan del Río
and Zimapán
. He was forced to surrender to General Bracho at San Luis Potosí
, and he was wounded in action at Azcapotzalco
. He received a battlefield promotion to lieutenant colonel, and was in command of two companies during the siege of the capital.
campaign. In December 1829 he joined the Plan de Jalapa. Having been promoted to colonel, he was second in command of the brigade that pacified Jamiltepec, the Costa Chica
and the Mixtec
s. He was part of the court that sentenced Vicente Guerrero
to death in 1831.
He opposed the revolution of 1832, but later accepted the Conventions of Zavaleta. In 1833 he revolted in favor of Santa Anna under the slogan of religión y fueros ("religion and privileges", referring to the privileges of soldiers and the clergy that had been eliminated by Liberal reformist President Valentín Gómez Farías
). Under this banner he attacked Oaxaca
. He was military governor of the states of Oaxaca and México during the centralist period.
From 1835 to 1841 he fought intensely against the Liberals. He broke the siege of Acapulco, went on expedition to the Mixteca region, broke another siege in Oaxaca. He attacked Urrea in Durango
and Longinos Montenegro in Tampico
, occupied Monterrey
and Monclova
, pursued Servando Canales, and finally returned to Mexico City. In 1841 Santa Anna promoted him to brigadier general.
The government did little during this time. It gave aid to the Hermanas de la Caridad and the Colegio de San Gregorio and established the ordinances governing the Military College. It transferred the Medical School to the Colegio San Ildefonso. It also increased taxes to support the army. Congress during this time established garrisons in the departments of Oriente and Occidente, and tried to regulate the cutting of the nation's forests. Canalizo arranged a new meeting place for the Chamber of Deputies after flooding had made the old chamber unusable. He appointed José Joaquín de Herrera president of the Consejo de Gobierno (Government Council).
In 1844 Canalizo returned the presidential office to Santa Anna and went to San Luis Potosí to take command of the Ejército del Norte (Army of the North) and prepare it for a campaign in Texas.
During this term he was in open conflict with Congress, because of its strong opposition to Santa Anna. Canalizo had received verbal instructions from Santa Anna to dissolve the Congress, but when he attempted this, the members objected. Thereupon he issued a decree suspending the Congress and prohibiting its meeting. Immediately, on December 4, 1844, the statue of Santa Anna in El Volador was decorated with a white hood and a rope noose, like a hanged man.
On October 30 the local authorities in Guadalajara
had revolted under Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga. On November 30 the palace guard prevented the deputies and senators from entering the chambers of Congress. By December 6 the revolution had spread throughout the country. On that day the troops of the La Acordada barracks, other soldiers and much of the populace joined the revolt. The soldiers from La Acordada took Canalizo prisoner. They turned over the government to José Joaquín de Herrera.
Plans were made to bring charges against Canalizo, but soon a general amnesty was declared. Canalizo was conducted to San Juan de Ulúa
, where he sailed for Cádiz October 25, 1845.
He returned to Mexico in 1846 and was Minister of War in the cabinet of Valentín Gómez Farías (December 24, 1846 - February 23, 1847). During this term he supported the mortmain
law and dealt severely with disturbances of the public peace.
. He prevented the soldiers under his command from joining the 1847 Revolt of the Polkos and he negotiated an end to the revolt with Matías de la Peña y Barragán. (The convention ending the revolt was signed on March 21, 1848.) He then marched to Veracruz, but Santa Anna took command of the troops. Puente Nacional
was abandoned without a fight, and Santa Anna was decisively defeated at Cerro Gordo
. The Mexicans abandoned a supply of arms at the castle of Perote, Veracruz. Canalizo fled. He did not return to the war because of disagreements with Santa Anna and took no part in the defense of Mexico City. He died in obscurity in the capital in 1850.
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...
. Canalizo served as acting president of 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...
two times, for a total of about ten months in 1843 and 1844.
The War of Independence
In 1811 he entered the Celaya Regiment as a royalist infantry cadet, fighting against the insurgents. On March 2, 1821 under the influence of Agustín de IturbideAgustín 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...
, whom he knew and respected, he swore allegiance to independent Mexico. After that he participated in the siege of Valladolid (Morelia
Morelia
Morelia is a city and municipality in the north central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital of the state. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the P'urhépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the...
) and the capture of San Juan del Río
San Juan del Río
N20 23 23 W99 59 49San Juan del Río is a city and administrative seat of the surrounding San Juan del Río Municipality in the central Mexican state of Querétaro. The population in July, 2007 is calculated in 128,270 for the city and 217,980 for the municipality.The city and municipality both rank...
and Zimapán
Zimapan
Zimapan is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 860.9 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 34,476....
. He was forced to surrender to General Bracho at San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
, and he was wounded in action at Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco is one of the 16 delegaciones into which Mexico's Federal District is divided. Azcapotzalco is in the northwestern part of Mexico City...
. He received a battlefield promotion to lieutenant colonel, and was in command of two companies during the siege of the capital.
After independence
After independence, he was an aide to General José Joaquín de Herrera in the JaliscoJalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
campaign. In December 1829 he joined the Plan de Jalapa. Having been promoted to colonel, he was second in command of the brigade that pacified Jamiltepec, the Costa Chica
Costa Chica
Costa Chica may refer to:Other*Costa Chica...
and the Mixtec
Mixtec
The Mixtec are indigenous Mesoamerican peoples inhabiting the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla in a region known as La Mixteca. The Mixtecan languages form an important branch of the Otomanguean language family....
s. He was part of the court that sentenced 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...
to death in 1831.
He opposed the revolution of 1832, but later accepted the Conventions of Zavaleta. In 1833 he revolted in favor of Santa Anna under the slogan of religión y fueros ("religion and privileges", referring to the privileges of soldiers and the clergy that had been eliminated by Liberal reformist President Valentín Gómez Farías
Valentín Gómez Farías
Valentín Gómez Farías was several times acting President of Mexico in the 1830s and 1840s.Gomez Farias was one of the more important political figures in early Mexico. The first presidency of Santa Anna from 1833 to 1836 was a temporary victory for the Mexican Liberals...
). Under this banner he attacked 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 was military governor of the states of Oaxaca and México during the centralist period.
From 1835 to 1841 he fought intensely against the Liberals. He broke the siege of Acapulco, went on expedition to the Mixteca region, broke another siege in Oaxaca. He attacked Urrea in Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
and Longinos Montenegro in Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
, occupied Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and Monclova
Monclova
On the other hand, temperatures during late spring and summer can have bouts of extreme heat, with evenings above 40°C for many consecutive days. In recent decades the hottest records have climbed as high as 43°C on July 13, 2005 and 45°C on May 4, 1984. However nighttime low temperatures are...
, pursued Servando Canales, and finally returned to Mexico City. In 1841 Santa Anna promoted him to brigadier general.
First term as president
In December 1842 he supported the Plan de Huejotzingo. He contributed to establishing the dictatorship of Santa Anna on March 4, 1843. When Santa Anna wanted a rest, he made Canalizo interim president on October 4, 1843. This transfer was approved by Congress. Canalizo's period in office lasted until June 4, 1844. Nevertheless it was Santa Anna, who was resident at his hacienda Encero, who made the political decisions and appointments.The government did little during this time. It gave aid to the Hermanas de la Caridad and the Colegio de San Gregorio and established the ordinances governing the Military College. It transferred the Medical School to the Colegio San Ildefonso. It also increased taxes to support the army. Congress during this time established garrisons in the departments of Oriente and Occidente, and tried to regulate the cutting of the nation's forests. Canalizo arranged a new meeting place for the Chamber of Deputies after flooding had made the old chamber unusable. He appointed José Joaquín de Herrera president of the Consejo de Gobierno (Government Council).
In 1844 Canalizo returned the presidential office to Santa Anna and went to San Luis Potosí to take command of the Ejército del Norte (Army of the North) and prepare it for a campaign in Texas.
Second term as president
He returned to the capital in September 1844 to replace José Joaquín de Herrera in the presidency. Again, he was a proxy for Santa Anna. This time he served from September 21, 1844 to December 6, 1844.During this term he was in open conflict with Congress, because of its strong opposition to Santa Anna. Canalizo had received verbal instructions from Santa Anna to dissolve the Congress, but when he attempted this, the members objected. Thereupon he issued a decree suspending the Congress and prohibiting its meeting. Immediately, on December 4, 1844, the statue of Santa Anna in El Volador was decorated with a white hood and a rope noose, like a hanged man.
On October 30 the local authorities in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
had revolted under Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga. On November 30 the palace guard prevented the deputies and senators from entering the chambers of Congress. By December 6 the revolution had spread throughout the country. On that day the troops of the La Acordada barracks, other soldiers and much of the populace joined the revolt. The soldiers from La Acordada took Canalizo prisoner. They turned over the government to José Joaquín de Herrera.
Plans were made to bring charges against Canalizo, but soon a general amnesty was declared. Canalizo was conducted to San Juan de Ulúa
San Juan de Ulúa
San Juan de Ulúa, also known as Castle of San Juan de Ulúa is a large complex of fortresses, prisons and one former palace on an island overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico.-History:...
, where he sailed for Cádiz October 25, 1845.
He returned to Mexico in 1846 and was Minister of War in the cabinet of Valentín Gómez Farías (December 24, 1846 - February 23, 1847). During this term he supported the mortmain
Mortmain
Mortmain is a legal term that means ownership of real estate by a corporation or legal institution that can be transferred or sold in perpetuity; the term is usually used in the context of its prohibition...
law and dealt severely with disturbances of the public peace.
Mexican-American War
He was given command of the Eastern Division at the time of the United States attack on VeracruzVeracruz
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...
. He prevented the soldiers under his command from joining the 1847 Revolt of the Polkos and he negotiated an end to the revolt with Matías de la Peña y Barragán. (The convention ending the revolt was signed on March 21, 1848.) He then marched to Veracruz, but Santa Anna took command of the troops. Puente Nacional
Puente Nacional
Puente Nacional is a municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Puente Nacional is bordered by Actopan, the port of Veracruz, and La Antigua. It stands on the railway and on Federal Highways 140 and 125...
was abandoned without a fight, and Santa Anna was decisively defeated at Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
. The Mexicans abandoned a supply of arms at the castle of Perote, Veracruz. Canalizo fled. He did not return to the war because of disagreements with Santa Anna and took no part in the defense of Mexico City. He died in obscurity in the capital in 1850.