Guadalupe Victoria

Miguel Fernández Félix studied the law in Mexico City, but quit to join the movement for independence in 1811. He changed his name to Guadalupe Victoria to show his devotion to the cause of Mexican independence. After the death of Morelos, Victoria continued the fight against the royalists. When Agustín de Iturbide came to power and was made emperor in 1822, Victoria at first supported him, but as Iturbide cracked down on his political opponents and dissolved the Congress, Victoria denounced him and joined Antonio López de Santa Anna's successful revolt in 1823. He was elected to the Supreme Executive Authority on 31 Mar 1823, but until 16 Jun 1824, he could not assume the office due to his absence. In October 1824, Guadalupe Victoria and Nicolás Bravo were elected Mexico's first constitutional president and vice president respectively for the four-year term, 1824-1829. Victoria sought to be impartial, but his attempts to build a consensus and his impartiality doomed him to indecision or to decisions that had little substance. Additionally, Victoria had entered a very volatile and charged political environment. All the debates over empire, the government and the constitution had led to this intensely political atmosphere. Both the major political factions identified themselves and their efforts with a branch of freemasonry. The federalists allied themselves to the York Rite Masons or Yorquinos and the centralist followed the Scottish Rite or Escoses. Victoria's administration did very well in foreign policy. Mexico's independence was formally recognized by most of Europe and several treaties of friendship and commerce were also signed. A treaty with the US decreed the Sabine river would be the boundary between the US and Mexico as well as the boundary of east Texas. Victoria had finally secured the northern and eastern flank of the southwest. But in terms of the domestic economy Victoria was able to do very little and the nation's financial condition steadily worsened. The rival factions grew farther apart and political and economic pressures led to an armed revolt against president Victoria in 1827. The leaders of the insurrection were the vice president Nicolás Bravo and General Barragán, who were also supported by the Yorquinos. The revolt was suppressed by Antonio López de Santa Anna and Vicente Guerrero in January 1828. In the election held on 1 Sep 1828, in which the state legislatures voted for president, the conservative Manuel Gómez Pedraza received eleven votes against nine votes cast for the liberal candidate Vicente Guerrero and six for Anastasio Bustamante. The election was challenged by partisans of Guerrero, supported by Santa Anna, who announced the Plan de Perote in support of Guerrero. Santa Anna initiated a revolt and drove Pedraza from power, who fled the presidency on 3 Dec 1828. Congress nullified the votes for Gómez Pedraza and gave the presidency to Guerrero and vice presidency to Bustamante on 12 Jan 1829.