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Valentín Canalizo

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Canalizo and the second or maternal family name is Bocadillo.
General Valentín Canalizo
13th President of Mexico
In office
4 October 1843 – 4 June 1844
Preceded byAntonio López de Santa Anna
Succeeded byAntonio López de Santa Anna
In office
21 September 1844 – 6 December 1844
Preceded byJosé Joaquín de Herrera
Succeeded byJosé Joaquín de Herrera
Personal details
Born(1794-01-14)14 January 1794
Monterrey, New Kingdom of León, Viceroyalty of New Spain
Died20 February 1850(1850-02-20) (aged 56)
Mexico, Mexico
Political partyConservative
SpouseJosefa Dávila

José Valentín Raimundo Canalizo Bocadillo (14 January 1794 – 20 February 1850), known as Valentín Canalizo, was a Mexican President, state governor, city mayor, army general, defense minister and conservative politician. As of now, he is the only Mexican President to be from the city of Monterrey. He was a supporter of a centralist (as opposed to a federalist) national government, and a confidante of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, who then was the President of Mexico. Canalizo was President of Mexico two times, for a total of about one year in 1843 and 1844, during the complex Mexican historical times after the one decade-long Mexican War of Independence and before the Mexican–American War. Valentín Canalizo had previously been the Mayor of Mexico City, after being Governor of the state of Puebla, and years before, Mayor of the city of Cuernavaca.

He was military governor of both the states of Oaxaca and State of Mexico in the early 1830s. At age 53, three years before his death, he served as Minister of War (Defense Minister) with President Valentín Gómez Farías.

He led the North and East Army Divisions to fight in the Mexican–American War, defending Northern and Eastern Mexican territory. In his late teens as his first job in the army, he fought in the Mexican War of Independence.

Early Life

Valentin Canalizo was born in Monterey, and entered the Celaya Regiment as a cadet in August, 1811 the year after the War of Mexican Independence had begun. He ascended to the rank of sublieutenant and a year later reached the rank of lieutenant. He initially fought as a Spanish loyalist but switched sides to join Agustin de Iturbide in December 1820. He was present at the Siege of Valladolid, in the taking of San Juan del Rio y Zimapan and formed part of the forces which General Brancho surrendered to in San Luis de la Paz. He was wounded in Atzcapotzalco, and for his services at that battle was promoted to lieutenant colonel and granted an award of distinction. He held a command during the siege and taking of the capital. [1]

He joined in the uprising that led to the downfall of the First Mexican Empire, and in 1825 he was promoted to sargeant major. He served in Jalisco as an assistant to fellow future President of Mexico, General Jose Joaquin Herrera, and on December 8, 1829 he joined the Plan of Jalapa which would lead to fall of the Guerrero administration. He was placed in charge of artillery in order to protect the entrance of the reserve army commanded by General Melchor Muzquiz under whose orders Canalizo was placed. For his services in the succesful revolution, the newly established Bustamante government made Canalizo a colonel. [2]

The government assigned him to the pacification of Jamiltepec where he was placed second in command to Eligio Ruelas. He also joined in the pacification of Costa Chica and Las Mixtecas, being in charge of troops during a battle at Zonactlan on January 26, 1831 where he routed the guerillas of Narvaez and Lima. [3] On May, 1831 he was promoted to general of brigade and made commandant general of the State of Oaxaca. Here he tried to suppress the revolution of 1832 against Bustamante’s government, but when the revolution succeeded Canalizo accepted the authority of the new government. [4]

In 1833, he joined in the uprising against the government of Valentin Gomez farias which led to the fall of the First Republic and the establishment of the Centralist Republic of Mexico. He was then made governor of the State of Mexico. After an uprising by Juan Alvarez in the south in favor of re-establishing the federal system, Canalizo was placed second in command of the troops sent to Acapulco to suppress the revolt and relieve the siege of that city. [5] He continued to lead campaigns against sporadic uprisings. In 1838 his effort to capture Tampico from the federalist general Longinos Montenegro was repulsed. He retired to Monterey, and then to Monclova after which he defeated the General Canales, and he was called back to Mexico City. [6]

President Bustamante was considering sending Canalizo on an expedition to Yucatan when the Bustamante administration was overthrown by Mariano Paredes in 1841. Canalizo remained loyal to Bustamante up until the president conceded defeat through the Convention of Estanzuela on October 6, 1841. [7]

Santa Anna called for a congress to redraft the constitution through which he hoped to take control of the Centralist Republic, but the congress which was elected was thoroughly federalist. The Plan of Huejotzingo was now proclaimed urging that congress be dissolved and replaced by a Junta of Notbles who would write a centralist constitution. The plan was succesfully carried out and amongst its supporters was Canalizo. [8]

First Presidency

It was at this point that Santa Anna chose Canalizo to hold the post of interim president while he intended to rule from behind the scenes. Canalizo was chosen as one who would be loyal and non-threatening to Santa Anna’s power, while his past as a loyal follower of Bustamante gave the appearance of impartiality. He was officially appointed on October 2 1843. Nonetheless he was widely perceived as a puppet. [9]

President Canalizo established the Sisters of Charity, assigned funds to the College of San Gregorio, published regulations on public education, and arranged a contract for new navy and army uniforms. [10]

A controversial element during the Canalizo administration was the amount of taxes imposed in spite of the country’s poverty. There were seven classes: land, industrial buildings, salaries, lucrative professions, luxuries, and the head tax. [11]

Congress met on January 2, 1844 and the results of the presidential elections, decided by the departments, were counted. In the opening session, the congress announced that Santa Anna had been elected. The deputies contained a substantial amount of opposition to Santa Anna, and they responded to the results by restricting the presidential power and forbidding further executive legislation. A measure to remove Canalizo was introduced in the Senate, which had the authority to remove interim presidents, but it failed. [12]

Santa Anna finally entered the capital on June 3rd, and Canalizo passed power over to him the following day. [13]

Post Presidency

Canalizo was tried by the government and accused of trying to overthrow the constitution. In his defense, Canalizo claimed that he had no intention of abolishing the congress but merely suspending it due to the extraordinary circumstances. A general amnesty was passed by congress, but Canalizo preferred to leave the country. On October 25, 1845 he set out for Spain, but returned during the Mexican-American War in 1846.

He was made Minister of War under the administration of Valentin Gomez Farias. [14] He stepped down on February 23 and was assigned a military command to defend Veracruz with General Romula Diaz de la Vega as his second in command.

He was present at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, in charge of cavalry. His conduct during that battle, retreating without fighting, and abandoning a large amount of supplies, led to congress wishing to make an investigation. He no longer played any notable role in the war, and never again assumed any political office. He died in obscurity on February 20, 1850. [15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 259.
  2. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 259.
  3. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 260.
  4. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 260.
  5. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 260.
  6. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 260.
  7. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 260.
  8. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 260.
  9. ^ Bancroft, Hubert Howe (1879). History of Mexico volume V: 1824-1861. p. 258.
  10. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 261.
  11. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 261.
  12. ^ Bancroft, Hubert Howe (1879). History of Mexico volume V: 1824-1861. p. 258.
  13. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manuel (1873). Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 262.
  14. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manueldate=1873. Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 274.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Rivera Cambas, Manueldate=1873. Los Gobernantes de Mexico: Tomo II (in Spanish). J.M. Aguilar Cruz. p. 275.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • (in Spanish) "Canalizo, Valentín", Enciclopedia de México, v. 3. Mexico City, 1996, ISBN 1-56409-016-7.
  • (in Spanish) García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 2. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrúa, 1984.
  • (in Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by President of Mexico
4 October 1843 – 4 June 1844 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Mexico
21 September – 6 December 1844 		Succeeded by
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