Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876) is one of the most famous, and infamous, figures in Mexican history. Six times the country's president, he is consistently depicted as a traitor, a turncoat, and a tyrant-the exclusive cause of all of Mexico's misfortunes following the country's independence from Spain. He is also, as this biography makes clear, grossly misrepresented.
Will Fowler provides a revised picture of Santa Anna's life, offering new insights into his activities in his bailiwick of Veracruz and in his numerous military engagements. The Santa Anna who emerges from this book is an intelligent, dynamic, yet reluctant leader, ingeniously deceptive at times, courageous and patriotic at others. His extraordinary story is that of a middle-class provincial criollo, a high-ranking officer, an arbitrator, a dedicated landowner, and a political leader who tried to prosper personally and help his country develop at a time of severe and repeated crises, as the colony that was New Spain gave way to a young, troubled, besieged, and beleaguered Mexican nation.
Will Fowler is a professor of Latin American studies at the University of St. Andrews. His books include Mexico in the Age of Proposals, 1821-1853; Tornel and Santa Anna: The Writer and the Caudillo, Mexico, 1795-1853; and Latin America since 1780.
Will Fowler is a professor of Latin American studies at the University of St. Andrews. His books include Mexico in the Age of Proposals, 1821–1853; Tornel and Santa Anna: The Writer and the Caudillo, Mexico, 1795–1853; and Latin America since 1780.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: Traitor, Turncoat, and Tyrant PART I: SANTA ANNA’S EARLY LIFE, 1794-1823 1. Between the Volcano and the Sea, 1794-1810 2. An Officer and a Gentleman, 1810-1821 3. Liberator of Veracruz, Founder of the Republic, 1821-1823 PART 2: THE MAKING OF A CAUDILLO, 1823-1832 4. A Federalist on the Periphery, 1823-1825 5. Among the Jarochos, 1825-1828 6. General of Tricks, 1828-1832 PART 3: THE RETURNS OF THE PHOENIX, 1832-1841 7. The Absentee President, 1832-1835 8. The Warrior President, 1835-1837 9. The Landowner President, 1837-1841 PART 4: A ROAD PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, 1841-1848 10. The Santanista Project, 1841-1844 11. Our Man in Havana, 1844-1846 12. The Mexican-American War, 1846-1848 PART 5: THE AUTUMN OF THE PATRIARCH, 1849-1876 13. The Man Who Would Be King, 1849-1855 14. The General in His Labyrinth, 1856-1876 Conclusion: “A Good Mexican” Chronology Notes Bibliography Index
