Justo Sierra
Sierra, Justo
Born Jan. 26, 1848, in Campeche; died Sept. 13, 1912, in Madrid. Mexican government figure and historian.
Sierra was educated as a lawyer. For many years he taught history in a preparatory school. He worked on a number of newspapers and magazines, including La Tribuna, La Libertad, and El Siglo. From 1905 to 1911 he was minister of public education and fine arts; in 1912 he was appointed ambassador to Madrid. Sierra’s main work, The Political Evolution of the Mexican People (1902), is liberal and democratic in its views. It condemns the Anglo-French-Spanish intervention of 1861–67 and praises B. Juárez as the defender of Mexico’s sovereignty.