MIGUEL MIRAMÓN: BIOGRAPHY, GOVERNMENT, CONTRIBUTIONS - ARTE - 2025

Miguel Miramón (1832-1867) was a conservative military man and Mexican politician, sometimes referred to by historians as "The young Maccabee." He is recognized for being the youngest president Mexico has ever had.

His mandate in 1859 was of an interim nature and parallel to the government headed by the leader of the liberal force, Benito Juárez. He was also the first President of the Republic born as a citizen of that country, since his predecessors were born as subjects of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

Portrait of Miguel Miramón. Source: Enrique Cárdenas de la Peña, A thousand characters in 19th century Mexico. 1840-1870, volume II, Mexico, Banco Mexicano SOMEX, 1979, p. 534

This general led the conservative forces established by Maximilian of Habsburg, during the so-called Second Mexican Empire, for which he is sometimes branded a traitor.

However, Miramón was one of the cadets who fought in the defense of Chapultepec Castle, during the North American attack in 1847. For this reason, some consider him as the “seventh Child Hero of Chapultepec”, alluding to the heroic myth of the cadets who died defending that bastion.

Biography

Miguel Gregorio de la Luz Atenógenes Miramón y Tarelo, better known as Miguel Miramón, was born in Mexico City on September 29, 1832. His family of French descent was well-positioned economically, as they were descendants of a marquis. His parents were Bernardo de Miramón and Carmen Tarelo, who had 11 other children in addition to Miguel Gregorio.

The military influence of his family was felt from the birth of Miramón. His father belonged to the Army of the Three Guarantees of Agustín de Iturbide. While his older brothers, Bernardo and Joaquín, were officers of the Mexican Army.

The beginning

In 1847 Miramón entered the Military College, following his early inclination for the arms race and family tradition. Being just a cadet, he participated in the defense of Chapultepec Castle during the American attack on September 13 of that year. This feat caused him to be considered the "seventh Child Hero"

The heroic myth of the “Niños Héroes” alludes to a group of 6 Mexican cadets who, along with 40 others, refused Nicolás Bravo's order to leave the Military College (current Castillo de Chapultepec) and its surroundings. They decided then to fight the American army during their invasion, dying the group of the 6 cadets.

Although many specialists allege that this event lacks historical support and was one of those stories with nationalist purposes that spread during the Porfiriato, Miramón is usually considered the seventh cadet who could have fallen in combat with the Americans. The final outcome only caused him to be made a prisoner of war.

Military career

Between 1851 and 1858 the military rise of Miguel Miramón is recorded. Beginning with the rank of lieutenant of artillery in 1851, two years later he managed to reach that of captain of the Second Active Battalion of Puebla and months later commander of the Active Battalion of Baja California.

In 1855 he fought the rebels of the Ayutla Plan in the battles of Mescala, Xochipala and Cañón del Zipolote. The rebels sought to ignore Antonio López de Santa Anna as president of the Republic, considering it a dictatorial mandate.

Miramón continued the fight in defense of Santa Anna during the Battle of Tepemajalco, whose outstanding performance earned him another promotion. When the rebels triumphed and Santa Anna fled the country, Juan Álvarez, general and leader of the revolutionaries, and later Ignacio Comonfort took power.

Miramón was not affected by this change in power and was appointed permanent lieutenant colonel in the Eleventh Line Battalion.

His military ascent was momentarily stopped because, in 1857, he was imprisoned for conspiring against Ignacio Comonfort, who was interim president between 1855 and 1857 and constitutional from that year until 1858.

But the fall from power of Ignacio Comonfort and the installation of the conservative government, makes Miramón a free man again. Thus continues his rise in the military world. On June 18, 1858 he was granted the rank of Major General and assumed command of the Army of the North.

Personally, in 1859 he married Concepción Lombardo y Partearroyo, with whom he had 7 children.

Years in power

After the pronouncement of General Echegaray who deposed Félix Zuloaga, on January 12, 1859, Miguel Miramón was elected substitute president by a board of 47 members. Although the military man told his wife that he would not accept the position for not supporting that rebellion, he ended up assuming power on February 2 of that year, upon returning from Jalisco.

For the first time, a Mexican citizen and such a young person came to the presidency, since Miramón was only 27 years old.

The Miramón government was conservative in character and parallel to what others considered legitimate, which was headed by the liberal Benito Juárez. He was named president for two consecutive terms. The first from February 2, 1859 to August 12, 1860 and the second from August 15, 1860 to December 24 of that year.

The lack of international support was evident within months of starting his first term, when US diplomat Robert McLane recognized the Juárez government as the legitimate one.

This fact did not neutralize Miramón, who in March 1860 tried to take Veracruz, a place that was a refuge for the Juárez government. But this action was not successful due to the intervention of North American ships. Upon his return to Mexico, he was intercepted by General Jesús González Ortega, who defeated him in Calpulalpan.

Upon surrendering the city, Miramón fled to Havana, then New York, and finally Paris. There it remains until the Second Mexican Empire is instituted, led by Maximilian of Habsburg. He decides to give up a proposal that he had previously rejected and puts himself at the service of the French.

Second Mexican Empire

In 1863, French troops gained control of Mexico City and later the entire country, in July of that year. The following month the empire was established and Miramón traveled to Germany to study military tactics, on the orders of Maximilian I.

Upon his return, he named him Grand Marshal of his armies and was assigned the responsibility of defending the empire against the republican government of Juárez.

It was Miramón and some ministers who dissuaded Emperor Maximilian I from abdicating, as he was abandoned by French troops. Napoleon, emperor in France, withdrew his troops because of the high cost of this expedition in Mexico without bearing fruit, but especially because of the danger of a European war in the face of the growing Prussian power.

"Young Maccabee", who had at one point had an internal struggle over his support for the French forces, had decided to bear the consequences of it until the end.

He fought in defense of the emperor until he reached Querétaro, where Maximiliano, his main generals and Miramón himself were surrounded by Mariano Escobedo and his troops.

Death

After his defeat and subsequent capture by the troops that supported Juárez, Miguel Miramón was sentenced to death. On July 19, 1867, together with Maximiliano I and General Tomás Mejía, he was shot on the Cerro de las Campanas de Querétaro. "Young Maccabee" was barely 35 years old.

His remains were buried in the Pantheon of San Fernando in Mexico City, but then his wife ordered the exhumation and transfer to the Puebla Cathedral, as she refused the idea that Benito Juárez was in the same cemetery.

Characteristics of his government

Battle of Chapultepec Castle - September 13, 1847. Source: Sarony & Major

Miguel Miramón was a controversial figure, because although he was a conservative, he was not specifically monarchical or imperialist. He is a legendary character for conservatives, characterized by great military ability, although for historians he lacked political training and firm convictions.

His government was of conservative ideology, which is based on giving importance to industrialization. They also reject the imposition of the State on the ecclesiastical authorities, since they considered that they should not lose the privileges they had until that moment.

Miramón's first presidential term was as a substitute president, while the second was an interim court. For those who did not support him, both periods meant a parallel government, as was the case in some countries in the international community led by the United States.

Other contributions

Both liberals and conservatives promoted foreign support for their respective struggles. In the case of the Liberals, they requested assistance from the United States, while the Conservatives with Miramón in power reactivated relations with Spain and sought recognition for their government.

During that time the Treaty of Mon-Almonte was signed on September 29, 1859. It was an agreement signed by Juan Nepomuceno Almonte, Mexican conservative, and Alejandro Mon, representative of Queen Elizabeth II of Spain, in Mexico.

Among its main aspects is a monetary loan with which the expenses of the Reform War will be subsidized, as the armed civil conflict that Mexicans lived through for approximately three years is known.

In the manifesto of July 12, 1859, which contained his government program, the administrative rather than political approach that his presidential term identified was evidenced. Miramón wanted to create a single tax instead of many, improve public education, reestablish relations with the Church and maintain close relations with the European nations.

This manifesto assured that the bad administrative organization was the main problem of the governments of Mexico, who tended only to carry out political management without dealing with administrative solutions.

References

1. Galeana de Valadés, Patricia. "The Conservatives in Power: Miramón." Studies of Modern and Contemporary History of Mexico14 (1991): 67-87.
2. Villalpando, José Manuel. Miguel Miramón. Mexico City: Planeta DeAgostini, 2003.
3. "Miramón, Miguel (1832–1867)." Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Recovered from Encyclopedia.com
4. Miguel Miramón. (2019, June 30). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from es.wikipedia.org
5. "Miguel Miramón (president of Mexico)" - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Recovered from com.
6. Unknown Mexico. (2019, July 30). Miguel Miramón, the seventh child hero. Recovered from mexicodesconocido.com.mx
7. Miguel Miramón. (2019, June 08). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from wikipedia.org