Benito Juárez

Benito Juárez Historical Figure Nationality: Mexico Year of Birth: 1806 Year of Death: 1872 Cause of Death: Heart Attack Religion: Catholicism in public, Deism in private Occupation: Lawyer, Politician, Soldier, Revolutionary Spouse: Margarita Maza Children: Eleven (only five lived to adulthood) Political Party: Liberal Party Political Office(s): State Legislator of Oaxaca, Governor of Oaxaca, President of Mexico Fictional Appearances: The Guns of the South POD: January 17, 1864 Type of Appearance: Contemporary reference

Benito Juárez (21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served as the President of Mexico from 1858-1872. His tenure as president saw interruption during the Reform War and the during the subsequent French occupation.

From 1863-67, Juárez led a government-in-exile while opposing the reign of Emperor Maximilian I, who was actually reform-minded himself, and offered Juárez the office of prime minister. Juárez refused.

In 1867 Maximilian was defeated, and Juárez returned to his office formally. He was subsequently re-elected in 1867 and in 1871, and died in office of a heart attack. He was the first Mexican leader who did not have a military background, and also the first full-blooded indigenous national to lead any country in the New World.

Benito Juárez in The Guns of the South

In 1867, Benito Juárez met with a series of defeats at the hands of the forces of Emperor Maximilian I, who was supported by French troops.

While U.S. President Horatio Seymour did send troops to the U.S.-Mexican border as "moral support" for the rebels, even that limited aid vanished when the U.S. went to war with Britain.

By 1868, Juárez had no reasonable hope of restoration.

References

Political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Ignacio Comonfort	President of Mexico 1858-1864	Succeeded by Maximilian I as Emperor of Mexico
Preceded by Maximilian I as Emperor of Mexico	President of Mexico 1867-1872	Succeeded by Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada