Juan Álvarez
A guerrilla leader from the hot country whose brief presidency ignited Mexico's great liberal revolution, La Reforma.
1790–1867 (age 77)·President of Mexico in 1855·Birthday: January 27
Biography
Juan Álvarez was a man forged in the mountains of Guerrero, a mestizo caudillo who spent decades fighting from the southern sierra. His was not the career of a polished capital politician but of a relentless military leader in the long, chaotic struggle against centralism and Santa Anna. When the dictator finally fell in 1855, the rebel army marched Alvarez into Mexico City to assume the presidency. His two-month term was a lightning strike. He immediately assembled a cabinet of brilliant young liberals, including Benito Juárez, and set in motion the laws that would become the Constitution of 1857. Though he quickly resigned, preferring his ranch to the palace intrigues, the spark he lit became an inferno. The War of Reform and the French Intervention were the direct consequences of the liberal project he launched. Álvarez's legacy is that of the catalyst, the rugged southern force that pried open the door for modern Mexico.
#1 When Juan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1790
Juan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1790Born
1795Started school
1803Became a teenager
1806Could drive
1808Could vote
1811Turned 21
1820Turned 30
1830Turned 40
1840Turned 50
1850Turned 60
1860Turned 70
1867Died at 77
President: Andrew Johnson
Key Achievements
- Led the Plan of Ayutla in 1854, the successful revolution that overthrew Antonio López de Santa Anna.
- Served as President of Mexico in 1855, initiating the pivotal era of liberal reform known as 'La Reforma.'
- Appointed Benito Juárez as Minister of Justice, a move that positioned Juárez for future leadership.
- Signed the Juárez Law, which abolished military and ecclesiastical fueros (legal privileges).
Did You Know?
He was of mixed Spanish, Filipino, and African ancestry, reflecting Mexico's complex racial makeup.
He fought in the Mexican War of Independence as a young man, beginning his military life at age 17.
After his presidency, he returned to his hacienda in Guerrero and refused further national office.
The state of Guerrero is named in his honor.
“I will not rest until the Plan of Ayutla is triumphant.”
