Anastasio Bustamante y Oseguera

A physician by education, Anastasio Bustamante joined the independence movement in San Luis Potosí and was promoted to lieutenant. He fought the enemies of independence in Celaya and Guanajuato and won the confidence of Agustín de Iturbide. Appointed to the Provisional Junta of Government, Bustamante was named Captain General of the western and eastern provinces. He was elected vice president on a ticket with Vicente Guerrero and assumed the office on 11 Jun 1829, but soon headed the insurrection against the incumbent. When Guerrero's installed acting president, José María de Bocanegra, was deposed, Bustamante assumed the presidency on 1 Jan 1830, at the opening session of Congress, which approved his appointment as Vice President exercising the Executive Power. One of the most notorious events during the Bustamante's first administration was the execution of Guerrero, who was betrayed and captured. 

After great efforts to call the Congress into session, this was done by Bustamante on 3 Aug 1832. The Congress authorized (7 Aug 1832) Bustamante to command the army in the field against revolutionary forces and nominated Melchor Múzquiz as interim president. Bustamante left on 14 Aug 1832, but his government collapsed when the representatives of Múzquiz accepted the Convenio de Zabaleta, recognizing Manuel Gómez Pedraza as constitutional president.

When Bustamante stepped down from vice-presidency, he was exiled from Mexico and returned in 1836. According to the new constitution promulgated in 1836, Bustamante was elected president in 1837 for the period 1837-1845. During his second administration, Mexico was involved in the Pastry War with France (1838-1839) resulting from the claims of foreign citizens, who suffered losses during several years of civil disturbances. In 1839, Bustamante headed a military campaign against insurrections and left the presidency (18 Mar 1839). He resumed the office upon returning to the capital on 17 Jul 1839. On 15 Jul 1840, the soldiers led by rebellious General José Urrea and Valentín Gómez Farías captured the Presidential Palace and the person of President Bustamante, but later released him. The revolt was subdued with the help of General Gabriel Valencia. 

On 17 Sep 1841, Bustamante applied to the Congress for a leave of absence to lead the armed forces against insurgent troops of Generals Mariano Paredes and Gabriel Valencia. The request was granted on 18 Sep 1841 and the Chamber of Deputies appointed Francisco Javier Echeverría as acting president. The generals in coalition with Antonio López de Santa Anna defeated the governmental troops and Bustamante again had to flee to Europe. He returned after Santa Anna's downfall in 1844 and was elected to the Congress.