Santa Anna (Antonio López de)

Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón (1794-1876), soldier and five-time president of Mexico, was born into a middle class family in Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico. From an early age Santa Anna served in the military, where he fought under the command of Joaquín de Arredondo, served in Texas against the Gutiérrez-Magee expedition, built Indian villages, and was promoted to brevet captain, 1820, and brevet lieutenant colonel, 1821. Additionally in 1821 Santa Anna joined Agustín de Iturbide’s rebel forces and was promoted to brigadier general. Just one year later, however, Santa Anna left Iturbide, citing personal reasons, and announced his Plan of Casa Mata, calling for the abolition of the Mexican monarchy in favor of a republic.

Santa Anna served as military governor of Yucatán and governor of Vera Cruz. In 1829 he led a successful campaign against the Spanish invasion of Tampico. He was elected president of Mexico in 1833. In 1835 Santa Anna led an army north to disperse the Texas Revolution. He was captured by Sam Houston’s army in April and sent to Washington, D.C., but soon returned to Mexico. He again served as president of Mexico, 1839, before acting as dictator, 1841-1845. Eventually he was overthrown and exiled to Havana, Cuba.

For over a decade Santa Anna attempted to return to Mexico, first through negotiations with President James Polk, and then scheming with the French. After being arrested and returned to exile, Santa Anna traveled between Cuba, Nassau, and the Dominican Republic and wrote his memoirs from 1867 to 1874. He was finally allowed back into Mexico in 1874, where he lived a quiet life in Mexico City until his death, two years later.

Source: Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Santa Anna, Antonio López de, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/fsa29.html (accessed July 28, 2010).