LUCAS ALAMÁN: BIOGRAPHY AND CONTRIBUTIONS - HISTORY - 2025

Lucas Alamán (Guanajuato, 1792-Mexico City, 1853) was one of the most important conservative politicians in Mexico when the country had just obtained its independence. Besides being a politician, Alaman was a scientist, historian, and writer. Its objective was to create a government in which the Church, the military and all social classes worked as a unit for the country.

He was considered one of the most important conservative leaders and the voice of a powerful centralized government for more than 30 years, which sought the expansion of educational sources, the industrialization of Mexico and the modernization of agriculture.

Early years

Lucas Ignacio Alamán y Escalada was born in Guanajuato, New Spain, on October 18, 1792. His father was an immigrant who came from Navarre and had a significant amount of money that he obtained thanks to mining.

His mother had previously married a general named Gabriel de Arechederreta, who had died a few years before the birth of Lucas Ignacio. Alaman had a brother from his mother's first marriage named Juan Bautista Arechederreta.

Lucas Alamán, being from an aristocratic family and owed his fortune to the mines, enrolled in the Mexico City Mining College and studied to become a mining engineer.

In 1810, before going to study in Europe, he saw how several rebel soldiers sacked Guanajuato, and Alaman himself said that this event marked him deeply. In fact, it is believed that this is where his conservative beliefs came from.

Studies in Europe

In 1814 Alaman left for Europe to continue his academic preparations. There he developed a strong admiration for the stability of European political institutions, but particularly the British ones.

In 1821 he became part of the Spanish courts, working in Cádiz as a representative of the province of Nueva Galicia (what today would be the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Sonora, Jalisco and Nayarit).

First position in Mexico and beginnings in the independence policy

Lucas Alamán was one of the co-founders and longest-lasting members of the Mexican Conservative Party, and was also one of the main defenders of the centralization of the country.

The following year, when Mexico had proclaimed itself an independent country, Alaman returned to his native country as one of the most studious and prepared men in the now free nation.

Politic charge

As soon as he stepped on land, he was given the position of Minister of Interior and Foreign Relations. Although the name of this position does not include him, he also served as the country's justice minister. He held this position from 1824 to 1829, under the mandate of Guadalupe Victoria.

While in the aforementioned position, Alaman was able to attract substantial amounts of English capital to the newly independent nation, thanks to his extensive knowledge and negotiation skills. In addition, it obtained the British approval of the Independence of Mexico.

When Anastasio Bustamante came to power, he quickly understood the capabilities of Alaman and gave him the position of chief minister. In fact, Alaman himself was one of the conservatives who helped Bustamante to establish himself in power through the execution of the Jalapa Plan.

This plan aimed to remove the insurgent General Vicente Guerrero from power, to establish a conservative regime.

The guilt that always haunted him

Shortly after Bustamante came to power, Vicente Guerrero was captured while traveling at sea. Subsequently, Mexican authorities court-martialed him and he was executed shortly after.

Alaman applauded this act, assuring that Guerrero was an unappreciated figure in politics and that his latent presence was damaging the country.

However, Vicente Guerrero was seen as a martyr by the Mexican masses. Liberals saw the execution of the former president as a murder in disguise, and Alaman was one of the main conservative figures they blamed for Guerrero's death.

However, Alamán claimed to have nothing to do with the movement that led to the military's capture and spent the rest of his life defending himself against those who saw him that way.

In fact, he published a manuscript in which he explained in detail why he was not guilty of what was called one of the harshest betrayals in the history of the First Mexican Republic.

Appointment as minister and the end of his political life

During the same Bustamante government, Alamán returned to the previous position he held as Minister of Interior and Foreign Relations.

With that position he was in charge of creating the Banco Nacional de Avío, the first bank in the history of Mexico. With this, the country would have the economic stability necessary to sustain itself and flourish under a growing economy.

Alaman's plan for the new funds that the country would have was to promote the textile industry, which had grown significantly in the last years of the Bustamante government.

Texas Independence

Shortly after the actions he carried out, one of the most damaging events for Mexico at that time occurred: the independence of Texas and its early union with the United States. This affected Alaman deeply, and he decided to retire from politics.

Although Alaman would no longer be directly involved with the conservatives and their political decisions, he continued to do what he believed best for the country with the civil position of director of the Industry Promotion Board, a position he held for the rest of his life.

Differences with the United States

Since before the independence of Texas, Alaman had not looked favorably on US intervention in Mexico. In fact, he devoted a large part of his political and civil career to counteracting American influence on Mexican soil.

Before Texas became independent, Alamán had managed to reduce the immigration rates of North Americans to Texas and was completely opposed to the signing of a trade agreement between this territory and the United States.

Border negotiation

After Texas independence, Alaman negotiated with the United States to clearly establish the border lines.

Their negotiations were successful and an agreement was reached between Mexico and the United States that correctly delimited the borders between both countries. These remained in place until the United States war against Mexico.

When Texas was annexed by the United States, a fact that subsequently triggered the war between Mexico and the North American country, the borders negotiated by Alaman were no longer respected.

Colonization of northern territories

Another policy that Alaman favored was the colonization of northern territories, including islands and archipelagos that still did not have an owner. By doing this he intended to prevent the United States from continuing to gain maritime territory near Mexico.

His life was marked by friction between his country of birth and his northern neighbor, proposing countless solutions and agreements throughout his career to diminish North American influence and empower the Mexican nation.

Life as a civilian

Starting in the 1840s, Alaman spent a great deal of time writing literary works. His main motivation was to tell the history of Mexico, but always maintaining a conservative point of view. The works he wrote are considered the best and most complete conservative productions of the 19th century.

He was the only author of Mexican origin who did not oppose the Spanish presence in his country. He saw the Spanish as a good that was not harmful to the nation, but rather aided in its growth.

This point of view was not well received by the illustrious of the time, but Alaman had strong European influences due to his participation in the courts of Cádiz early in his life, and his attachment to the monarchical regimes of the Old Continent.

His last days

After the end of the war between Mexico and the United States, Alaman coincided with the presence of Santa Anna, who was in exile after the war.

In fact, Alamán is credited with the return to power of Santa Anna, since he helped the president under the condition of helping all those who had interests in properties to prevent them from losing money.

Request of respect to the clergy

Alaman asked Santa Anna to establish a program to abandon the practices of political persecution against members of the Church.

While this period of Santa Anna was his last and probably one of his worst, he kept his word and favored the Church as he had promised Alaman. Her first move was to revoke a presidential decree that was 20 years old, which did not allow the fulfillment of the vows that the monks made in the monasteries.

Furthermore, Santa Anna allowed the return of the Jesuits to Mexico, who had been expelled by the Spanish Crown almost a century earlier. These returned with the condition of educating the poorest and least prepared social classes. Santa Anna also gave them back the lands that at the time of their exile had been confiscated by the Crown.

Minister again

Alaman had again been appointed Minister of Interior and Foreign Relations for the government of Santa Anna, who this time would have leaned towards the side of the Conservatives to obtain power.

However, Alaman suffered severe pneumonia and died three months after Santa Anna returned to power, on June 2, 1853.

Contributions of Lucas Alamán

Throughout his political and civil career, Alamán carried out a series of works that went down in history not only for the contributions they made to his country, but also for the progressive ideas that he promulgated. In fact, this can be considered the only aspect of his life in which Lucas Alaman was not conservative.

His ideas, both political and technological, were considered progressive and in some cases even utopian, since certain things he proposed could not be carried out in a country as young as Mexico was at that time.

However, these ideas were valid and Alamán was a witness to it, since most of them harvested them as a result of his studies in Europe. Among his most important actions and works, we can highlight:

The founding of the Mexican conservative party

Alaman, along with a series of politicians with visions similar to his, were the first to bring conservative ideas to Mexico. In fact, Lucas Alamán was one of the illustrious people who gave the most support to the Church and the Spanish presence in Mexico.

The creation of the National Avío Bank

The foundation of this entity occurred at the hands of Alamán, when he worked in the Bustamante government. This was the first bank in the country and government subsidies helped boost the Mexican economy to a standard never seen before.

Dissertations on the History of the Mexican Republic

This three-volume tome told the history of Mexican politics and society in colonial times, including the repercussions of the war between Mexico and the United States.

Tomes of

Considered one of the most complete literary volumes written at the time, these 5 books represent everything that happened in Mexico from its independence until 1852, when all the volumes were published.

Creation of the Natural History Museum

Alaman founded the Museum of Natural History while he held a position a little more detached from the government, thus wanting to share his passion for nature and promote knowledge of it in his country.

Foundation of the General Archive of Mexico

This entity was key in understanding all the historical events in Mexico and in helping historians understand the political process that led to the formation of the Mexican Republic.

Other actions

In addition to all of the above, Alamán founded and managed his own mining company, created the first independent metalworking industry in Mexico, and served as president of the Mexico City City Council.

References

1. Lucas Alamán, The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from Britannica.com
2. The Political and Economic Thought of Lucas Alamán and Its Impact on Mexican Development, 1820-1852, Alan F. Kovac, 1967. Taken from luc.edu
3. Lucas Alamán, Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2010. Taken from yourdictionary.com
4. Lucas Alaman, (nd). November 9, 2017. Taken from wikipedia.org
5. Antonio López de Santa Anna, (nd). February 28, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org
6. Plans in Mexican History (nd). July 19, 2017. Taken from wikipedia.org
7. Mexican-American war (nd). February 27, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org