Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada was the first man who came to the presidency of Mexico when it was already an independent country between the years 1872 and 1876. A man who resigned from the priesthood to dedicate his life to the legal profession and later to fight for the welfare of his country fighting alongside Benito Juárez to prevent the invasion of France in Mexico.

What did

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada managed to continue with the process of change that had been initiated thanks to the Juárez Reform, which had been stopped due to the intervention of France in the country. He managed to make the laws were constitutional and that, significantly improved the quality of life of the country.

Biography of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada

Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada was born in the city of Xalapa located in Veracruz one 24 April 1827 . His father Juan Antonio Lerdo de Tejada Matute and his mother Concepción Corral y Bustillos . Initially, he dedicated himself to studying an ecclesiastical career which he resigned shortly after to later move to live in Mexico City where he began to study at the Colegio de San Ildefonso , where he took a career in jurisprudence and from where he graduated. as a lawyer.

He worked as a professor and rector of this same college and later, he began to serve as a prosecutor of the Supreme Court . He also obtained a position as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as a deputy in Congress.

Death

He went into exile in New York City in 1877 after losing the Battle of Tecoac and he remained in this place until April 21, 1889 , the date on which he died. Later, his remains were taken to Mexico where he was decorated with honors and was buried in the Rotunda of Illustrious Men .

Political career

In his political career, he worked alongside Benito Juárez , as a member of the permanent council. He also worked in the area of Government Relations and Justice. In 1871 he managed to enter the Mexican elections to opt for the position of president after forming the Lerdista Party , however, he lost the elections.

Despite this, Juárez, who had been electro president, died suddenly and as a result of this, he managed to occupy the presidency of the country on an interim basis to later be confirmed as President of the Nation on December 1, 1872.

Presidency of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada

During his presidency, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada managed to advance in the aspect of peace in his country, which had suffered due to the wars that had originated since independence. He managed to confront Manuel Lozada , establishing an important agrarian reform in order to benefit the peasants . He managed to gradually reintegrate the Chamber of Senators in order to counterbalance the Chamber of Deputies .

It could increase , improve and promote the industry and the capital from abroad and tried to avoid negotiations with the United States . At the end of his presidential term, he began an important campaign in search of reelection , which generated a series of controversies in the country. He tried to make several legal modifications to achieve this and was in fact supported by the Legislative Power, managing to win the presidential elections in 1876.

What study

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada began to study to be a priest , thanks to a scholarship he obtained at the Palafoxiana Seminary in Puebla, however, in 1841 he decided to abandon his ecclesiastical career to later enter to study law , shortly after graduating as a lawyer .

Ideology

His ideology was mainly nationalist and at the same time liberal, so for him it was of utmost importance to be able to defend the country and with which he mainly sought the development of the nation and maintain a national identity that focused on a series of important aspects such as culture, language, religion and ethnicity.

Contributions of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada

There were several contributions that he managed to give to the country, among which the most important are mentioned:

• The inauguration of the railway from Mexico to the city of Veracruz.
• He achieved the split of the Liberal Party when he was reelected by his party in 1876.
• He focused on eliminating chiefdoms .
• He tried to integrate the country
• He participated alongside Benito Juárez to avoid the French invasion in the country.
• He managed to elevate the Juárez Reform laws to constitutional laws.
• He supported the introduction of Protestantism in the country.
• It promoted technology and the economy in an important way .

Physical characteristics

According to historians, Sebastián Lerdo had a brown skin color, typical of Mexicans. His slightly pointed nose, average height, thin lips, bulging eyes, and little hair on the front of his head.

Personality

He was a man who was characterized by having a quite extroverted personality but at the same time a little sentimental because in his mind there was always the idea of ​​fighting for the welfare of his country. It is also considered that he was intuitive because he always wanted to start with new ideas and projects for his country.

Parents

His father was Juan Antonio de Tejada y Matute who worked as a Cameran merchant and his mother was Mrs. Concepción Corral y Bustillos .

Relations

Sebastián Lerdo never married.

Sons

Sebastián Lerdo did not have children throughout his life.

Importance

Its main importance is related to the union that it established with Benito Juárez to be able to fight against the invasion by France in Mexico, managing to win the battle.

Acknowledgments

To date, there is no knowledge of any recognition that has been made to Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, however his remains were deposited in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons , a place of great importance for the Mexican people.

Quotes by Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada

Some important phrases that were mentioned by Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada are the following:

• I will try to be worthy of the support of public opinion and patriotism on the part of all good citizens.
• I am not the head of a party, but rather, the impartial and dispassionate enforcer of the law.
• Relationships with the powers considered as friends continue to be happily cultivated with the best, benevolent, and cordial sentiments.
• In this way we can trust that our Homeland , following the path of law and freedom , will achieve better days and develop better elements, thus occupying the place that really corresponds to it among the nations that are considered as civilized.

Curiosities

Some curiosities of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada were the following:

• He was the first president of the country who was really Mexican by birth after independence.
• He first managed to reach the presidency of the country after Juárez died .
• He created a political party with the name of Partido Lerdista.
• Before he managed to reach the presidency for the second time, he was defeated at the Battle of Tecoac , and for this reason, he had to go into exile in New York City , where he lived until the day of his death.