Antonio López de Santa Anna
A flamboyant and cunning political survivor who dominated Mexico's turbulent early decades, swinging between hero and villain with the tides of war.
1794–1876 (age 82)·President of Mexico many times, 1833 to 1855·Birthday: February 21
Biography
Antonio López de Santa Anna was a figure of operatic proportions in 19th-century Mexico, a man whose career was a rollercoaster of spectacular victories, humiliating defeats, and relentless political comebacks. A charismatic and brave military officer from Veracruz, he first gained fame by defeating Spanish forces at Tampico in 1829, cementing his image as a national hero. For the next three decades, he was the central actor in Mexico's political theater, serving as president on eleven non-consecutive occasions. His rule was marked by centralist authoritarianism and chronic instability. Santa Anna's legacy is irrevocably tied to the loss of Texas, where his brutal victory at the Alamo galvanized Texan resistance, leading to his capture at San Jacinto. In a staggering later act, he sold vast Mexican territory to the United States through the Gadsden Purchase to fund his government. Ultimately, his excesses and the national territory he squandered made him a symbol of failed leadership, and he died in poverty and obscurity in Mexico City, a cautionary tale of personal ambition eclipsing national duty.
#1 When Antonio Was Born
The biggest hits of 1794
Antonio's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1794Born
1799Started school
1807Became a teenager
1810Could drive
1812Could vote
1815Turned 21
1824Turned 30
1834Turned 40
1844Turned 50
1854Turned 60
1864Turned 70
President: Abraham Lincoln
1874Turned 80
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1876Died at 82
President: Ulysses S. Grant
Key Achievements
- Led Mexican forces to victory against a Spanish invasion at the Battle of Tampico in 1829, solidifying Mexican independence.
- Served as President of Mexico on eleven separate occasions between 1833 and 1855, a record of political resilience.
- Commanded the Mexican army that defeated Texan rebels at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
- Negotiated the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, selling Mexican land to the United States for $10 million to fund his regime.
Did You Know?
He famously ordered a full state funeral for his amputated leg, which was lost to a cannonball during the 1838 Pastry War with France.
He was once exiled to Staten Island, New York, where he attempted to market chicle, a sapodilla tree sap, which later inspired the invention of chewing gum.
His full name was Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón.
He lived in exile in Cuba, the United States, Colombia, and Saint Thomas before being allowed to return to Mexico shortly before his death.
“A hundred years to come my people will not know what the battle of Angostura was fought for. It will be a forgotten battle; but they will not forget the leg I left there.”
