Benjamín G. Hill
A steadfast revolutionary commander, he was the loyal tactical counterpart to his cousin Álvaro Obregón during Mexico's bloody civil war.
1874–1920 (age 46)·Mexican general·Birthday: March 31·The Gilded Age
Biography
Benjamín G. Hill was forged in the furnace of the Mexican Revolution, a conflict that devoured its sons. From the northern state of Sonora, he was a kinsman and unwavering ally of Álvaro Obregón, forming one of the revolution's most effective military partnerships. Hill commanded troops with a cool competence that complemented Obregón's strategic boldness. His loyalty was tested and proven in the revolution's pivotal, brutal battles, particularly the 1915 fight at Celaya where Obregón lost an arm defeating Pancho Villa's legendary División del Norte. Hill's steadfast service earned him the somber nickname 'Obregón's lost right arm,' a testament to his indispensable role. After the Constitutionalist victory, he held significant political and military posts, including Secretary of War and Navy, tasked with the daunting project of stabilizing a shattered nation. His death in 1920, just as the violent decade of revolution was closing, marked the end of a key figure in the faction that ultimately shaped modern Mexico.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Benjamín was born in 1874, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Benjamín Was Born
The biggest hits of 1874
Benjamín's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1874Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Started school
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1887Became a teenager
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Could drive
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1892Could vote
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Turned 21
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Turned 30
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 40
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Died at 46
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
Key Achievements
- Served as a leading general under Álvaro Obregón during the Mexican Revolution, playing a key role in the Constitutionalist faction.
- Appointed Secretary of War and Navy in the post-revolutionary government of President Venustiano Carranza.
- Successfully governed his native state of Sonora during the turbulent revolutionary period.
Did You Know?
He was a cousin of revolutionary leader and later President Álvaro Obregón.
The town of Benjamin Hill in Sonora, Mexico, is named in his honor.
He died in 1920, the same year his cousin Obregón was elected president.
“The revolution is not made with roses; it is made with blood and iron.”
