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| Santa Anna was President of Mexico on five separate occasions. |
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| San Jacinto Museum of History © 2003 |
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Born on February 21, 1794 in Veracruz, Santa Anna enjoyed a middle-class upbringing. After some formal education and a short career as a merchant, he was appointed to the infantry. It was a good fit for him.
He fought Mexican rebels under the Spanish for years, receiving several promotions. But in 1821, he switched sides and led the rebels under Agustín de Iturbide. Eventually made governor, he became a national hero fighting the Spanish.
Santa Anna was elected president of Mexico in 1833, the first of five presidential stints. But his autocratic centralism caused rebellion at the local level. It was in this context that his army marched north to Texas.
General Martín Perfecto de Cos, who had traveled to Texas ahead of Santa Anna to punish the rebels, was Santa Anna’s brother-in-law. When Cos lost Goliad, as well as the initial (and less famous) struggle at the Alamo, Santa Anna was disgraced. In part, his Alamo siege was a matter of family honor.
After regaining honor at the more famous fall of the Alamo in 1836, Santa Anna felt his job in Texas was done. But under counsel, he decided to take one final swipe at the Texas rebels by dividing his army and sweeping the land. The resulting campaign led to the Battle of San Jacinto.
In total command of Mexican forces at San Jacinto, Santa Anna’s men were taken completely by surprise. It was a disaster, his men roused from an afternoon siesta in chaos without the chance to organize. Santa Anna was captured and sent to Washington D.C., eventually returning home.
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Martíngale from Santa Anna's horse, captured at the Battle of San Jacinto. |
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San Jacinto Museum of History © 2003 |
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But his career was far from over. He fought the French in 1838, losing a leg in battle, and led the Mexican army to defeat in the Mexican War. He remained in and out of the Mexican limelight—sometimes in exile—until retiring in 1874 to write his memoirs in Mexico City. He died on June 21, 1876.
While eccentric and arrogant (he fancied himself the “Napoleon of the West”), Santa Anna was nothing if not astute. His heavy-handed tactics in the Texas Revolution were a function of his training. And his political shifts showed his mastery of reading the political tea leaves rather than a penchant for disloyalty.
