Antonio López de Santa Anna
In 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. Santa Anna wrote to Mexico City saying he no longer had aspirations to the presidency, but would eagerly use his military experience to fight off the foreign invasion of Mexico as he had in the past. President Valentín Gómez Farías was desperate enough to accept the offer and allowed Santa Anna to return. Meanwhile, Santa Anna had secretly been dealing with representatives of the United States, pledging that if he were allowed back in Mexico through the U.S. naval blockades, he would work to sell all contested territory to the United States at a reasonable price. Once back in Mexico at the head of an army, Santa Anna reneged on both of these agreements. Santa Anna declared himself president again and unsuccessfully tried to fight off the United States invasion. (However, his actions did inspire the Sea shanty, "Santianna".)
In 1851, Santa Anna went into exile in Kingston, Jamaica, and two years later, moved to Turbaco, Colombia. In April 1853, he was invited back by rebellious conservatives, with whom he succeeded in retaking the government. This reign was no better than his earlier ones. He funneled government funds to his own pockets, sold more territory to the United States (see Gadsden Purchase), and declared himself dictator for life with the title "Most Serene Highness". The Ayutla Rebellion of 1854 once again removed Santa Anna from power.
Despite his generous payoffs to the military for loyalty, by 1855 even his conservative allies had had enough of Santa Anna. That year a group of liberals led by Benito Juárez and Ignacio Comonfort overthrew Santa Anna, and he fled back to Cuba. As the extent of his corruption became known he was tried in absentia for treason and all his estates confiscated. He then lived in exile in Cuba, the United States, Colombia, and St. Thomas. During his time in New York City he is credited as bringing the first shipments of chicle, the base of chewing gum, to the United States, but he failed to profit from this, since his plan was to use the chicle to replace rubber in carriage tires, which was tried without success. The American assigned to aid Santa Anna while he was in the United States, Thomas Adams, conducted experiments with the chicle and called it "Chiclets," which helped found the chewing gum industry. Santa Anna was a passionate fan of the sport of cockfighting. He would invite breeders from all over the world for matches and is known to have spent tens of thousands of dollars on prize roosters.
In 1874 he took advantage of a general amnesty and returned to Mexico. Crippled and almost blind from cataracts, he was ignored by the Mexican government when the anniversary of the Battle of Churubusco occurred. Santa Anna died in Mexico City two years later, on June 21, 1876, penniless and heartbroken.
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Personal life
Santa Anna was a devoted collector of Napoleonic artifacts, and also considered himself the "Napoleon of the West." His nickname, though, was "The Eagle." While it is understood that Santa Anna considered himself "Napoleon of the West" he did so only after the Texas Telegraph and Register referred to him as such.
Santa Anna married Inés García and fathered five children. She died in 1844. After a month of mourning, the 50-year-old Santa Anna married 15-year-old María Dolores de Tosta and fathered several more children by her. Santa Anna is rumored to have wed the very young Melchora Barrera during his occupation of San Antonio de Béxar in 1836. He sent her back to Mexico City where he provided for her and their child.
Legend has it that his lack of preparations or even defensive measures prior to the Battle of San Jacinto were due to his being entertained by Emily Morgan, a mulatto girl, in his tent. It gave rise to the song "The Yellow Rose of Texas." There is however, no historical proof that his meeting with Emily Morgan ever occurred.
In 1897, Santa Anna's grandson by his second marriage, Santa Anna III (1881–1965), entered the Jesuit order.
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Presidencies
Santa Anna held the office 11 times:
- May 16, 1833 - June 3, 1833
- June 18, 1833 - July 5, 1833
- October 27, 1833 - December 15, 1833
- April 24, 1834 - January 27, 1835
- March 20, 1839 - July 10, 1839
- October 10, 1841 - October 26, 1842
- March 4, 1843 - October 4, 1843
- June 4, 1844 - September 12, 1844
- March 21, 1847 - April 2, 1847
- May 20, 1847 - September 15, 1847
- April 20, 1853 - August 9, 1855
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Popular culture references
- Santa Anna is mentioned several times in the movie, The Mask of Zorro. He appears in a scene that was deleted from the theatrical release, portrayed by Joaquim de Almeida.
- Santa Anna was one of the main characters in the 2004 movie The Alamo, portrayed by Emilio Echevarría.
- Santa Anna was also mentioned in a King of the Hill episode called 'The Last Shinsult', in which Hank Hill's father Cotton Hill steals the wooden leg of Santa Anna as it makes its way back to Mexico and exchanges it for a Mexican driver's license.
- Santa Anna is mentioned in the song "Frijolero" by the Mexican band Molotov.
- Santa Anna appeared in Cartoon Network´s original serie Time Squad entering the Alamo with his troops and attacking the Texans for "insulting" their Mexican culture.
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References
- ^ SANTA ANNA, ANTONIO LÓPEZ DE from the Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Howe, Daniel Walker (2007). What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. Oxford Univ. Press, 660.
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Further reading
- (Spanish) José Manuel Villalpando César, Las balas del invasor, Miguel Angel Porrua; ISBN
- Roberts, Randy & Olson, James S., A Line in the Sand, Simon & Schuster; ISBN
- Jackson, Jack & Wheat, John, Almonte's Texas, Texas State Historical Assoc.; ISBN
- Anderson, Fred & Cayton, Andrew, The Dominion of War, Viking Press; ISBN
- Crawford, Ann F.; The Eagle: The Autobiography of Santa Anna; State House Press; ISBN
- Santoni, Pedro; Mexicans at Arms-Puro Federalist and the Politics of War; TCU Press; ISBN
- Borroel, Roger (2nd edition, 2002), The Texas Revolution of 1836, La Villita Publications, ISBN 1-928792-09-X
- Fowler, Will, Santa Anna of Mexico, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0-803211-20-1
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External links
- Santa Anna Letters on the Portal to Texas History
- The Handbook of Texas Online: Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
- Benson Latin American Collection - Antonio López de Santa Anna Collection
- George LaBarre Galleries : Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna autographed bond dated 1866.
- Sketch of Santa Anna from A pictorial history of Texas, from the earliest visits of European adventurers, to A.D. 1879, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- Archontology.org, Home » Nations » Mexico » Heads of State » LÓPEZ de SANTA ANNA, Antonio
- Texas Prisoners in Mexico August 3, 1843 From Texas Tides
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