Benito Juárez
Who was Benito Juárez?
Indigenous Mexican lawyer and politician who served as President of Mexico from 1858 to 1872, leading liberal reforms and resistance against French occupation.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Benito Juárez (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Benito Pablo Juárez García (1806-1872) was a Mexican lawyer, politician, and statesman who was the 26th President of Mexico, serving from 1858 until his death in 1872. Born into a poor Zapotec indigenous family in San Pablo Guelatao, Oaxaca, Juárez was the first indigenous president of Mexico and the first democratically elected indigenous president in postcolonial America. Orphaned at three, he was raised by his uncle and moved to Oaxaca City at twelve, where he worked as a domestic servant while learning Spanish and getting an education.
Originally studying for the priesthood, Juárez switched to law at the Instituto de Ciencias y Artes de Oaxaca, where he got involved in liberal politics. He started practicing law and was appointed as a judge. He married Margarita Maza from a prominent Oaxaca family. His political career moved from municipal roles to becoming the governor of Oaxaca, where he showed his commitment to liberal reforms and fiscal responsibility.
Juárez entered national politics after the Plan of Ayutla, which overthrew Antonio López de Santa Anna. President Juan Álvarez made him Minister of Justice, a role where he pushed the Juárez Law, limiting the power of military and church courts. This was part of wider reforms called La Reforma, which aimed to modernize Mexico by reducing the Catholic Church's and military's power while promoting individual rights and secular government.
As head of the Supreme Court, Juárez became president when Liberal president Ignacio Comonfort resigned during the early days of the Reform War. He led the Liberals to victory against the Conservatives after three years of civil war, then dealt with the Second French Intervention in Mexico. Even when French forces occupied Mexico City and he had to govern from various provincial cities, Juárez kept constitutional government going and eventually expelled the French-backed empire of Maximilian I. During his presidency, he worked to modernize Mexico's institutions, promote education, and ensure civil authority over military and religious powers.
Before Fame
Born into extreme poverty in the remote Zapotec village of San Pablo Guelatao, Juárez spoke only Zapotec until he was twelve and worked as a shepherd. When he was three, his parents died, leaving him in the care of his uncle Bernardino Juárez. Knowing that education was the key to getting ahead in Mexican society, young Benito walked to Oaxaca City and found work with Antonio Salanueva, a bookbinder and lay Franciscan who became his mentor and sponsor.
Salanueva encouraged Juárez to pursue his education, starting at a seminary where he studied Latin and theology. Juárez eventually decided against becoming a priest and enrolled in the Instituto de Ciencias y Artes de Oaxaca to study law. During his legal studies, he encountered liberal political philosophy and Enlightenment ideas, which strongly influenced his later political career. His journey from an illiterate indigenous child to an educated lawyer was a remarkable social change in 19th-century Mexico, where racial and class barriers were usually impossible to overcome.
Key Achievements
- Became the first indigenous president of Mexico and first democratically elected indigenous leader in postcolonial America
- Led the Liberal victory in the Reform War (1857-1860) against Conservative forces
- Successfully expelled French forces and ended the Second Mexican Empire during the French Intervention (1862-1867)
- Implemented La Reforma constitutional reforms that separated church and state and modernized Mexican institutions
- Established the principle of constitutional government and civilian authority over military power in Mexico
Did You Know?
- 01.Juárez did not learn to speak Spanish until he was twelve years old, communicating only in Zapotec during his early childhood
- 02.He initially studied to become a Catholic priest at a seminary but abandoned religious studies to pursue law
- 03.During the French intervention, Juárez carried the Mexican government in a black carriage across northern Mexico, earning it the nickname 'the republic on wheels'
- 04.He was the same height as Napoleon Bonaparte, standing at approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall
- 05.Juárez never owned a home and rented modest accommodations throughout his life, even while serving as president