Benito Juárez

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Lore & Background

Born in Oaxaca to a poor rural Indigenous family and orphaned as a child, Juárez passed into the care of his uncle, eventually moving to Oaxaca City at the age of 12, where he found work as a domestic servant. Sponsored by his employer, who was also a lay Franciscan, Juárez temporarily enrolled in a seminary and studied to become a priest, but later switched his studies to law at the Institute of Sciences and Arts, where he became active in liberal politics. He began to practice law and was eventually appointed as a judge, after which he married Margarita Maza, a woman from a socially distinguished family in Oaxaca City. Juárez was eventually elected governor of Oaxaca and became involved in national politics following the ousting and exile of Antonio López de Santa Anna in the Plan of Ayutla. The new president, Juan Álvarez, appointed a liberal cabinet that included Juárez as Minister of Justice. He was instrumental in passing the Juárez Law as part of the broader program of constitutional reforms known as La Reforma. Later, as the head of the Supreme Court, he succeeded to the presidency upon the resignation of the Liberal president Ignacio Comonfort in the early weeks of the Reform War between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, and led the Liberal Party to victory after three years of warfare. Almost immediately after the Reform War had ended, President Juárez was faced with a French invasion, the Second French Intervention aimed at overthrowing the government of the Mexican Republic and replacing it with a French-aligned monarchy, the Second Mexican Empire. The French soon gained the collaboration of the Conservative Party, but Juárez continued to lead the government and armed forces of the Mexican Republic, even as he was forced by the advances of the French to flee to the north of the country. The Second Mexican Empire would finally collapse in 1867 after the departure of the last French troops two months previously and President Juárez returned to Mexico City, where he continued as president, but with growing opposition from fellow Liberals who believed he was becoming autocratic, until his death due to a heart attack in 1872. During his presidency, he supported many controversial measures, including his negotiation of the McLane–Ocampo Treaty, which would have granted the United States perpetual extraterritorial rights across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec; a decree extending his presidential term for the duration of French Intervention; his proposal to revise the liberal Constitution of 1857 to strengthen the power of the federal government; and his decision to run for reelection in 1871. His opponent, liberal general and fellow Oaxacan Porfirio Díaz, opposed his re-election and rebelled against Juárez in the Plan de la Noria.

Reader's Guide

Benito Juárez is considered the most popular Mexican president of the 19th century. After his death, the city of Oaxaca added 'de Juárez' to its name in his honor, and numerous other places and institutions have been named after him. He is the only individual whose birthday (21 March) is celebrated as a national public and patriotic holiday in Mexico. Many cities (most notably Ciudad Juárez), streets, institutions, and other locations are named after him. His life—from an orphaned Zapotec child who could not speak Spanish until age 12, working as a shepherd and domestic servant, to becoming president—is a concrete example of indigenous leadership in postcolonial America. His leadership during the Reform War and the Second French Intervention secured the survival of the Mexican Republic against conservative and foreign forces. The Juárez Law was a key part of La Reforma, aimed at reducing the power of privileged classes. Despite facing opposition from fellow Liberals who viewed him as autocratic, he remained president until his death.

Did You Know?

• Juárez was orphaned at age 3 and raised by his uncle Bernardino Juárez.
• He could not speak Spanish until age 12, knowing only his first language, Zapotec.
• He worked as a domestic servant in the household of Antonio Maza, where his sister worked as a cook.
• As a lawyer, he took cases of Indigenous villagers and was once thrown into jail along with community members for denouncing a priest's abuses.
• He is the only individual whose birthday (21 March) is celebrated as a national public and patriotic holiday in Mexico.