JOSÉ JUSTO CORRO: BIOGRAPHY AND POLITICAL CAREER - ARTE - 2025

José Justo Corro (1794-1864) was a prominent Mexican lawyer, who was relevant because he was the eleventh president of the country. He assumed the position on an interim basis and his administration lasted just over a year.

He came to power to replace Miguel Barragán, who had become seriously ill. He held more positions in the public administration, including minister and deputy. Justo Corro was president of Mexico when the Texas separation occurred.

Source: SUN RISE, via Wikimedia Commons.

He came to submit his resignation a month before leaving the post permanently in April 1837. His successor in the presidency was Anastasio Bustamante. Justo Corro was the first president that Mexico had during the period of history that they call the Centralist Republic.

Biography

Personal life

José Justo Corro Silva was born in Aguascalientes. There is a debate about the date of his birth since some historians consider valid that he was born on July 19, 1794, although others do not specify and speak that he came to the world sometime between 1786 and 1800. It all depends on the source consulted.

There are few data on Justo Corro's personal life, as well as data on the first years of his life.

His time at the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, also known as Seminario San José, made him feel a deep respect for religion and its institutions. It was known that he studied Law and graduated in Law in 1821.

He was recognized as one more member of the Mexican Conservative Party that was founded in 1849.

Death

Justo Corro died in Guadalajara on October 18, 1864. At that time, Mexico was experiencing conflicts with France and one of the interventions of the European country was taking place.

The remains of Justo Corro were buried in the Pantheon of Belén, located in his place of origin, Guadalajara. It is currently considered a museum and has been restored. Very important characters in the history of the city were buried there.

Political stage

Shortly after completing his law studies, Justo Corro took his first steps in politics. First he held different positions in Guadalajara and Jalisco. He came to work with the governor of Jalisco José Ignacio Cañedo.

Interim presidency

José Justo Corro began to be part of the government of President Miguel Barragán when he appointed him as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ecclesiastical Business. He began his role as minister in May 1835.

President Barragan fell ill with typhus. Then Congress decided to elect someone to take over the reins of the country on a provisional basis and Justo Corro won the vote with more than 30 votes difference with respect to the next candidate. The other options were Nicolás Bravo, José Parrés and Rafael Mangino.

Justo Corro assumed office on February 27, 1836 and only a few days later Barragán died. The election had 82 votes and 51 of them were in favor of Corro. The newly appointed president of Mexico had to assume power in the midst of the country's conflict with Texas over its separation.

Throughout his presidency, several events of great relevance to the Republic occurred. That same year the centralist Constitution, popularly known as The Seven Laws, was approved. Just days after his appointment, Texas declared its independence, a conflict that came to an end on April 21, 1836.

Centralist constitution

The structure of the Mexican government changed with the publication of The Seven Laws, the name given to the Constitution. It was approved on December 30, 1836 during the interim of Justo Corro.

The instrument proposed a series of changes in the political structure of Mexico in this first stage of the centralist Republic. He created a model of unitary government. It was a proposal that began during the government of Antonio Santa Anna.

It was made up of seven parts. One of them consisted of a dozen articles in which those who could opt for Mexican nationality were defined. Among the requirements that had to be met was knowing how to read in Spanish and having an income equal to, or greater than, 100 pesos during the year.

The Constitution established the powers of the country's president. More than 50 articles referred to the role of the country's congressmen, deputies and senators. Another section delved into how to elect the presidents of the nation.

The fifth law approved explained the way in which the 11 members of the Supreme Court of Mexico would be appointed since then. They also talked about how the new centralist government would work and declared the prohibition to annul these laws for a period of six years.

Finally, this constitution only lasted until 1846 when the government of Nicolás Bravo began in 1846. Then a new attempt at federal government began.

Texas Separation

The conflict with Texas began in 1835 when Barragán was still president of Mexico. Equal Corro at that time had a very important role for being his position as minister. The inhabitants of the territory, which was part of what is now Coahuila, asked for their independence supported by the United States.

It all started with the ideas of the government to create a centralist Republic. The attempts to avoid the separation of Texas had no major consequences and on May 14, 1836 the Treaty of Velasco was signed and Mexico lost that territory, with Justo Corro already in the presidency of the country.

Resignation

José Justo Corro tried to resign as president and prematurely end his interim term. On March 14, 1837, he asked Congress to accept his resignation, but did not get the necessary support.

Everything was motivated by the lack of support from citizens in Mexico, especially after some economic decisions. Finally, on April 19 his term ended and Anastasio Bustamante assumed the Presidency of the nation.

Continuation of his political career

When his term as interim president ended, Justo Corro continued to be linked to politics in Mexico. He was one of the five members of the Supreme Conservative Power in 1837. This was a tool created to ensure that all branches of the government respected their functions.

Later he held the position of magistrate in the Supreme Court, was a member of the Council of State, deputy and president of the Supreme Court, this being his last public position before dying in 1864.

References

1. Arrillaga, Basilio José. Compilation of Laws, Decrees, Rules, Regulations, Circulars and Rulings of the Supreme Powers and other Authorities of the Mexican Republic…. Print By A. Boix, By M. Zornoza, 1864.
2. I run, José Justo. The Acting President of the Mexican Republic To His Citizens. Imprenta Del Águila, 1836.
3. Fowler, Will. Mexican rulers. Economic Culture Fund, 2015.
4. Ludlow, Leonor. The Secretaries of Finance and Their Projects, 1821-1933, Volume 1. Autonomous University of Mexico, 2002.
5. Valadés, José C. Origins of the Mexican Republic La Aurora Constitucional., 1972.