Comonfort, Ignacio
Comonfort, Ignacio
(ēgnä`syō kōmōnfôrt`), 1812–63, Mexican general and president (1855–58). He was one of the leaders in the Revolution of AyutlaAyutla, town (1990 pop. 6,214), Guerrero state, S Mexico. Its full name is Ayutla de los Libres [Ayutla of the free]. It is the commercial center for an agricultural, cattle-raising, and lumbering area.
..... Click the link for more information. , which in 1855 overthrew Santa AnnaSanta Anna, Antonio López de
, 1794–1876, Mexican general and politician. He fought in the royalist army, but later joined Iturbide in the struggle that won independence for Mexico (1821). Santa Anna then entered upon a long and tortuous political career.
..... Click the link for more information. and installed Juan ÁlvarezÁlvarez, Juan
, 1780–1867, Mexican general of indigenous descent, president of Mexico (1855). He distinguished himself in battle under Morelos y Pavón and was later the first governor of Guerrero.
..... Click the link for more information. in the presidency. Comonfort became acting president upon the resignation of Álvarez; with his cabinet, particularly Benito JuárezJuárez, Benito
, 1806–72, Mexican liberal statesman and national hero. Revered by Mexicans as one of their greatest political figures, Juárez, with great moral courage and honesty, upheld the civil law and opposed the privileges of the clericals and the army.
..... Click the link for more information. and Miguel Lerdo de TejadaLerdo de Tejada, Miguel
, d. 1861, Mexican liberal statesman, a leader of the Revolution of Ayutla, cabinet member under Juan Álvarez. As minister under Comonfort, he initiated the Ley Lerdo (1856), a law providing for the forced sale of all real property of the Roman
..... Click the link for more information. , he continued the anticlerical liberal program and embodied it in the constitution of 1857. In Dec., 1857, Comonfort, elected under the new constitution, took office as president. The reform program created a furor and awoke rebellion. Comonfort, a half-hearted liberal, attempted to make his position more moderate and was deserted by the liberals. He allowed the conservatives to seize power, then turned against them. Unsupported by either party and opposed by public opinion, he resigned and fled (Jan., 1858) to the United States. He returned to fight against the French invaders and was killed in battle.