Revolution Of Ayutla
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Plan of Ayutla was the 1854 written plan aimed at removing conservative,
centralist Centralisation or centralization (American English) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning, decision-making, and framing strategies and policies, become concentrated within a particular ...
President
Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. often known as Santa Anna, wa ...
from control of
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
during the
Second Federal Republic of Mexico The Second Federal Republic of Mexico () refers to the period of Mexican history involving a second attempt to establish a federal government in Mexico after the fall of the unitary Centralist Republic of Mexico in 1846 at the start of the Mex ...
period. Initially, it seemed little different from other political plans of the era, but it is considered to be the first act of the
Liberal Reform Liberal Reform is an internal political group of members of the British Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats. Membership of the group is open to any Liberal Democrat member, and is free of charge. It was launched on 13 February 2012, and de ...
in Mexico. It was the catalyst for revolts in many parts of Mexico, which led to the resignation of Santa Anna from the presidency, never to vie for office again. The next Presidents of Mexico were the liberals, Juan Álvarez,
Ignacio Comonfort Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos (; 12 March 1812 – 13 November 1863), also known as Ignacio Comonfort, was a Mexican politician and soldier who was also president during La Reforma. He played a leading role in the liberal movement und ...
, and
Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican politician, military commander, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. A Zapotec peoples, Zapotec, he w ...
. The new regime would then proclaim the 1857 Mexican Constitution, which implemented a variety of liberal reforms.


Dissent against the Santa Anna dictatorship

After Mexico's defeat in the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
, the country was beset by despair and political chaos. Abhorring long-term exploitation and short-term heavy taxes needed to finance the war, some indigenous peoples revolted in the
Sierra Gorda The Sierra Gorda () is an Ecoregion, ecological region centered on the northern third of the List of states of Mexico, Mexican state of Querétaro and extending into the neighboring states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo and San Luis Po ...
region (1847–1849) and in the
Yucatán peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...
(1847–1852). The north of Mexico was especially devastated. The territorial losses to the United States codified in the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...
were an impetus for
Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
and
Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...
raids in northern Mexico. The region was further weakened by depopulation, with the discovery of gold in the recently lost territory of California prompting inhabitants of northern Mexico to migrate there. During this chaos, José María Tornel and Juan Suárez y Navarro founded the Santanista party. The Santanistas believed that Mexico should be ruled by a strong dictator who would create a centralized state that would emphasize the importance of the Catholic faith. Conservative politician and historian
Lucas Alamán Lucas Ygnacio José Joaquín Pedro de Alcántar Juan Bautista Francisco de Paula de Alamán y Escalada (Guanajuato, New Spain, 18 October 1792 – Mexico City, Mexico, 2 June 1853) was a Mexican scientist, conservative statesman, historian, and ...
stated that the Church was "the only tie left that unites the Mexican people." The Santanistas hoped that exiled President Santa Anna would be that strong dictator. The Santanistas, with help from the radical ''puros'' and the military, overthrew the ''moderado''
Mariano Arista José Mariano Martín Buenaventura Ignacio Nepomuceno García de Arista Nuez (26 July 1802 – 7 August 1855) was a Mexican soldier and politician who also became president of Mexico. He was in command of the Mexican forces at the opening batt ...
. Santa Anna arrived in Veracruz on 1 April 1853, and he took office upon reaching Mexico City on 20 April. Upon taking office yet again, Santa Anna took measures to improve the army, hoping to create a standing army of 90,000 men. However, due to the unpopularity of the draft and the low quality of the troops who were recruited, Santa Anna lowered his goal to 46,000 troops. Mexican Liberals whom Santa Anna considered threats, notably Benito Juárez and Melchor Ocampo, were forced into exile to the U.S. Juárez and Ocampo settled in New Orleans and plotted to overthrow the government. Santa Anna also introduced tax increases to boost revenue. On 14 May 1853, a decree was promulgated that renewed all taxes and added new ones, such as the restoration of the '' alcabala'' (sales tax) and the abolition of financial concessions to the port of
Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...
and to Yucatán. Santa Anna had some successful policies, such as measures that reduced banditry and improved the country's highway system. However, he became increasingly
authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
as well as pompous, adopting the title of " Most Serene Highness." His popularity also declined due to the tax increases that he implemented, his suppression of political opposition, and his regime's rampant corruption. A key event that further decreased his popularity was the
Gadsden Purchase The Gadsden Purchase ( "La Mesilla sale") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effect on June 8, 1854. The purchase included lan ...
, in which the United States paid $10,000,000 to Mexico in exchange for more Mexican land. It has been speculated that Santa Anna took $600,000 of the indemnity for himself. Santa Anna was further weakened by the deaths of many advisors and the alienation of others, as exemplified by his decision to exile Suárez y Navarro.


Plan of Ayutla is drafted

By the beginning of 1854, Santa Anna had secured control over most of Mexico. The southern state of
Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...
, which was ruled by General Juan Álvarez, remained outside of his control. Due to its difficult terrain, the state was naturally shielded from the capital. Álvarez was angered by Santa Anna's pro-Spanish policies, such as hiring Spanish mercenaries, and by the central government's confiscation of Guerrero's public lands. The government also planned to build a highway from Mexico City to Acapulco, which threatened Álvarez's regional autonomy. Angered by Álvarez's disloyal behavior, Santa Anna sent General Pérez Palacios to seize Acapulco, and Álvarez similarly prepared for war. Colonel Ignacio Comonfort, one of Álvarez's subordinates, pressed for a plan to be written, as he wanted to win over public opinion and to add an idealistic angle to the planned rebellion. He wanted the document to be vague and to avoid any topics that would narrow the movement's appeal. Initially drafted on 24 February 1854, by
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
Florencio Villarreal, it was proclaimed on 1 March 1854, in Ayutla, Guerrero. The Plan de Ayutla was influenced by a document written by the New Orleans exiles. The Ayutla Plan not only aimed at removing the dictator but also convening a constituent assembly in order to draft a federal constitution. The Plan charged Santa Anna with being a tyrant and declared the Gadsden Purchase to be illegal. The authors promised to end the draft and the poll tax. Álvarez, Tomás Moreno, and Nicolás Bravo were declared to be the military leaders of the insurgency, and they were given the power to alter the plan if necessary. Álvarez and Comonfort did not support this proclamation publicly, as Comonfort believed that it would not gain support among ''moderados''. The Plan was then slightly revised and accepted by the rebel leaders on 13 March. The notable supporters of the Plan of Ayutla included Pedro Hinojosa, Juan Álvarez, exiles of the Santa Anna regime
Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican politician, military commander, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. A Zapotec peoples, Zapotec, he w ...
, Melchor Ocampo, José María Mata, and Ponciano Arriaga, as well as
Ignacio Comonfort Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos (; 12 March 1812 – 13 November 1863), also known as Ignacio Comonfort, was a Mexican politician and soldier who was also president during La Reforma. He played a leading role in the liberal movement und ...
, Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, and José María Jesús Carbajal.


Revolution of Ayutla

Álvarez's forces initiated 19 months of guerrilla warfare and civil unrest against Santa Anna. The rebels were aided by the exiles in New Orleans, who sent them weapons. This uprising is termed the Revolution of Ayutla (1854−1855), since it entailed not just a narrow political goal of ousting the dictator, but a more thorough change in political direction via armed warfare. The Revolution of Ayutla brought a new generation of younger men into active national political life, a "generation of giants" including military men: Comonfort, Santiago Vidaurri, Epitacio Huerta, and Manuel García Pueblita; as well as radical liberal intellectuals, Ocampo, Arriaga, Guillermo Prieto, and Juárez. In the summer of 1855, Juárez returned to Acapulco from exile to serve as a political ally of Álvarez. Alvarez had success in mobilizing forces in Guerrero, many of which had formed paramilitary units during the U.S. - Mexican War (1846-1848), Santa Anna decided to crush the rebellion in person, leaving Mexico City with an army on 16 March 1854. Santa Anna's federal army defeated the "Liberating Army" at El Coquillo. He then arrived at Acapulco on 19 April, but the rebels cut his communications with Mexico City, and he learned that Comonfort had fortified the city. After a week long siege, Santa Anna was forced to retreat. On 30 April, Santa Anna defeated Moreno at el Pelegrino, but the rebels inflicted severe losses on Santa Anna's army, and Santa Anna himself was almost captured. During the retreat to Mexico City, Santa Anna's army executed rebel prisoners and burned villages. There followed uprisings in the states of
Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...
, Morelos, Oaxaca, and Mexico state. The rebellion then spread to the northern states of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and Nuevo León. The irregular forces of the liberal side took a few months' time off from the revolution to attend to their crops. The war continued without major battles or decisive victories. The government's most significant success was Colonel Félix Zuloaga's victory at El Limón on 22 July. However, the rebellion proved impossible to suppress and, on 18 January 1855, Zuloaga surrendered after being besieged at Tecpan. By April, the rebels were making progress in most parts of Mexico, but especially in Michoacán, which prompted Santa Anna to lead one last offensive into that province on 30 April 1855. The rebels retreated instead of engaging Santa Anna's army, and, unable to crush them, he eventually returned to Mexico City. When Mexico City denounced Santa Anna, he abdicated on 12 August 1855 and fled into exile. Álvarez's forces marched into the capital with a "brigade of rustics called Pintos (ferocious warriors so called because in earlier times, they wore face paint). In the capital there was widespread popular support for the Revolution of Ayutla, with people gathering in the Parque Alameda and waiting hours to sign a document in support of Mexico City for the revolution. Álvarez then assumed the office of President of Mexico. Once the rebels occupied Mexico City, they confiscated all of Santa Anna's property so as to recoup the indemnity from the Gadsden Purchase that Santa Anna's regime had squandered.


Aftermath

The Plan paved the way for ''
La Reforma In History of Mexico, the history of Mexico, (from Spanish language, Spanish: "The Reform"), or reform laws, refers to a pivotal set of laws, including a Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857, new constitution, that were ...
'' (the Liberal Reform). The Revolution of Ayutla brought its liberals to power. Their leaders initially passed a series of reform laws, notably the Juárez Law, the Lerdo Law and the Iglesias Law. These laws were explicitly anticlerical. The Juárez Law abolished special courts for groups such as the military and the clergy. The Lerdo Law sought to replace corporate ownership of land with individual ownership of land, and it confiscated Church lands. The Iglesias Law sought to control the costs of Church administered sacraments. Soon afterward, Comonfort, who had succeeded Álvarez as President, convened a Congress to draft a new Constitution. The most contentious topic was the possibility of including a provision that would guarantee religious toleration, that is abolish the religious monopoly of the Catholic Church, with ''puros'' supporting such a measure and ''moderados'' opposing it. The ''moderados'' opposed the measure with arguments attacking Protestantism and arguments that religious toleration would harm the family and national cohesion. Other ''moderados'' argued that Constitutions should avoid idealism and reflect the country's populace. Eventually, the ''moderados'' would prevent the inclusion of a religious toleration provision, and they would also prevent a trial by jury provision from being included in the Constitution. However, the Juárez Law, the Lerdo Law, and the Iglesias Law were incorporated into the 1857 Mexican Constitution. The Congress also added many other liberal stipulations, such as freedom of thought, freedom of the press, freedom of petition, and numerous laws defending the rights of those being prosecuted, such as the right to appeal, the right of a defendant to access material so as to craft a defense, and the abolition of double jeopardy. The new Constitution also reaffirmed the abolition of slavery, which had been in effect since 1829. Objecting to the new Constitution's anticlerical elements,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...
opposed it.Meyer, Michael C.; Sherman, William L. (1983). ''The Course of Mexican History: Second Edition''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 381. . Domestic Conservatives and the Mexican Catholic Church also opposed ''La Reforma'' and the 1857 Constitution in the Plan of Tacubaya. This would soon prompt an open civil war, known as the War of the Reform or Three Years' War (1858−1860).


See also

* Plans in Mexican history * Liberalism in Mexico * List of wars involving Mexico * Second Federal Republic of Mexico period * Index of Mexico-related articles


References


Further reading

*Fowler, Will. Santa Anna of Mexico. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2007. *Johnson, Richard A. The Mexican Revolution of Ayutla, 1854-1855: An Analysis of the Evolution and Destruction of Santa Anna’s Last Dictatorship. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1974. *Knowlton, Robert J. "Plan of Ayutla" in ''Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture'', vol. 4, p. 420. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1996. *Meyer, Michael C. and William L. Sherman. The Course of Mexican History: Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983. *O'Gorman, Edmundo. "Antecententes y sentido de la revolución de Ayutla" in ''Plan de Ayutla. Conmemoración de su primer centenario''. Mexico City: UNAM 1954. *Pani, Erika. "Revolution of Ayutla" in ''Encyclopedia of Mexico''. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997, pp. 119–21. *Roeder, Ralph. Juarez and his Mexico. New York: Viking Press, 1947. *Vanderwood, Paul. "Betterment for Whom? The Reform Period: 1855–1875" in ''The Oxford History of Mexico'', Michael C. Meyer and William H. Beezley, eds. New York: Oxford University Press 2000, pp. 371–396. *Wasserman, Mark. Everyday Life and Politics in Nineteenth Century Mexico: Men, Women, and War. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2000.


External links


Spanish Wikisource text of Plan de Ayutla
- In Spanish.
Text of the Plan of Ayutla
- In Spanish {{Authority control Modern Mexico Ayutla History of Guerrero Liberalism in Mexico 1854 in Mexico 1850s in Mexico