Guadalupe Victoria | Mexican independence, revolutionary, leader (2024)

president of Mexico

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Also known as: Manuel Félix Fernández

Guadalupe Victoria | Mexican independence, revolutionary, leader (1)

Victoria, Guadalupe

Original name:
Manuel Félix Fernández
Born:
1786, Tamazuela, Mex.
Died:
1843, Perote (aged 57)
Title / Office:
president (1824-1829), Mexico

Guadalupe Victoria (born 1786, Tamazuela, Mex.—died 1843, Perote) was a Mexican soldier and political leader who was the first president of the Mexican Republic.

Victoria left law school to join the movement for independence from Spain, fighting under José María Morelos in 1812. He changed his name to show his devotion to the cause of Mexican independence (the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, had been adopted as a symbol of the insurgency). After the death of Morelos, Victoria waged guerrilla war against the Spaniards from the mountains around Veracruz and Puebla. When Agustín de Iturbide came to power (1821), Victoria at first supported him, but by 1822, as Iturbide arrested all political opponents and dissolved the legislature, Victoria denounced him and joined Antonio López de Santa Anna’s successful revolt in 1823.

Victoria became Mexico’s first elected president (1824–29), but, while honest, unassuming, and a courageous general, he was not particularly suited for the presidency. The inexperienced administrator was not able to deal effectively with the constant political bickering and Byzantine machinations of government rivals, often being taken advantage of by those he trusted. It is small wonder that little progress was made domestically and the economy was in a shambles. During Victoria’s tenure in office, Iturbide was executed. In foreign affairs, Victoria managed much better and established relations with all the major powers. The bitterest blow of his term came in 1827 when his vice president, Nicolás Bravo, led a revolt against Victoria. It was easily suppressed by his comrades from revolutionary times, Generals Santa Anna and Vicente Guerrero.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Guadalupe Victoria | Mexican independence, revolutionary, leader (2024)

FAQs

What role did Guadalupe Victoria play in the independence of Mexico? ›

Guadalupe Victoria (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwaðaˈlupe βiɣˈtoɾja]; 29 September 1786 – 21 March 1843), born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican general and politician who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence and after the adoption of the ...

What happened to Guadalupe Victoria? ›

Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico, passed away in 1843 uictim of an ailment that, at the time, was diagnosed as epilepsy. The clinical data and the pathologic findings, however, suggest the possibility that Victoria had an underlying disease that was responsible for the seizures that affected him.

Why did Guadalupe Victoria change his name? ›

Victoria left law school to join the movement for independence from Spain, fighting under José María Morelos in 1812. He changed his name to show his devotion to the cause of Mexican independence (the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, had been adopted as a symbol of the insurgency).

Who was the hero of Mexican independence? ›

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is generally regarded as the “Father of Mexican Independence.” He was born in a rural area of Guanajuato where his father managed a hacienda. He was an excellent student in both theology and philosophy at the then Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo in present-day Morelia.

Who was the revolutionary leader that helped Mexico get its independence? ›

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (born May 8, 1753, Corralejo, near Guanajuato, Mexico—died July 30, 1811, Chihuahua) was a Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary leader who is called the father of Mexican independence. Hidalgo was the second child born to Cristóbal Hidalgo and his wife.

Who played a leading role in Mexico's fight for independence? ›

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is now considered the father of Mexican independence. His uprising on 16 September 1810 is considered the spark igniting the Mexican War of Independence.

Who was the first black president of Mexico? ›

Vicente Guerrero knew his purpose. He was a man of color, and as a Mexican, I am proud to say that he was the first black president in North America. There were many reasons why people craved independence in New Spain, but most obvious was that nobody wanted to be controlled anymore.

Who was Mexico's second president? ›

Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña (Spanish: [biˈsente raˈmoŋ ɡeˈreɾo]; baptized 10 August 1782 – 14 February 1831) was a Mexican soldier and statesman who became the nation's second president.

Who won the battle of Guadalupe? ›

For six long months US forces fought to hold the island. In the end they prevailed, and the Allies took the first vital step in driving the Japanese back in the Pacific theater.

What is Guadalupe full name? ›

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego and his uncle, Juan Bernardino, which are believed to ...

What gender is Guadalupe? ›

Guadalupe is a unisex given name in the Spanish language. The name initially designated the Guadalupe river in the province of Extremadura, Spain.

Who is Guadalupe named after? ›

Meaning “wolf valley,” or “river of the wolf,” Guadalupe actually stems from the native Nahuatl language, but it is actually more known for its connections to the Virgin Mary.

How did Mexico get its name? ›

According to one legend, the war deity and patron of the Mexica Huitzilopochtli possessed Mexitl or Mexi as a secret name. Mexico would then mean "Place of Mexi" or "Land of the War God." Another hypothesis suggests that Mēxihco derives from a portmanteau of the Nahuatl words for "moon" (mētztli) and navel (xīctli).

When did Mexico lose California? ›

This treaty, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming.

What happened in Mexico in 1810? ›

The desire for independence from Spanish rule first formally emerged in 1810. A priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is famous for issuing a call for revolution on September 16, 1810 in an event known as “El Grito de Dolores”. His call sparked a flame that would fuel the Mexican fight for independence.

Who was the woman in the Mexican independence Day? ›

Some of the women who helped the Independence movement with money, food, or arms were Leona Vicario, Luisa Martínez, Gertrudis Bocanegra, Gertrudis Armendáriz de Hidalgo y Costilla, and María Petra Teruel de Velasco.

Who was the ruler of Mexico when Texas gained independence? ›

Antonio López de Santa Anna
His Most Serene Highness Antonio López de Santa Anna
Years of service1810–1855
RankGeneral
Battles/warsMexican War of Independence Spanish attempts to reconquer Mexico Casa Mata Plan Revolution Zacatecas rebellion of 1835 Texas Revolution Pastry War Mexican–American War
60 more rows

Who was the Mexican revolutionary lady? ›

Women participated in the Revolution in a variety of ways. Some, like Margarita Neri, Elisa Griensen Zambrano, Encarnación Mares and Col. María Quinteros de Meros, actually fought on the battlefield.

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