Vicente Riva Palacio Collection

The Vicente Riva Palacio Collection forms part of the Genaro García Collection, which was purchased by the University of Texas in 1921 from the heirs of Genaro García. The Vicente Riva Palacio Collection was described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in February 1995.

The collection's physical extent comprises 10.25 linear feet. Its materials are mostly in Spanish; their bulk dates are 1814-1896. The collection is also available on microfilm.

The following guides are available in Rare Books Reference:

The suggested citation is "Vicente Riva Palacio Collection, 1790-1896, Benson Latin American Collection, General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin."

Documents in the archives subgroup of the Vicente Riva Palacio Collection have been numbered on at least three different occasions in the past. The latest numbering was done by Doctor Jack Autrey Dabbs when he compiled a guide to the collection in the 1980's. The numbering in the guide includes the wallet number plus the document number. Numbers on the documents themselves include only the document number. Dabbs usually numbered only the first leaf of each document, and wrote in a larger and firmer hand than that employed in previous numberings. A few exceptions can be found in which the numbering on a document has not been changed to correspond with that in the guide. When a document cannot be located by number, it is suggested that dates, if any, be utilized for location purposes.

Lawyer, general, politician, diplomat, historian, and writer. Vicente Riva Palacio's parents were Mariano Riva Palacio and Dolores Guerrero, who was the daughter of Vicente Guerrero and Guadalupe Hernández. Vicente, who received his law degree in 1854, maintained a legal practice while intermittently holding public office, going to war, and pursuing a literary career. He held offices in the municipality of Mexico City; the constitutent and national congresses; the Supreme Court of Justice; the Ministry of Fomento, Colonización, Industria, y Comercio; and Mexico's diplomatic corps in Spain and Portugal. In addition, he participated in the revolution of Ayutla and the French intervention, and directed and wrote for several newspapers. Through his journalism, he contributed to the downfall of the governments of Emperor Maximilian and Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada and to the ascent of Porfirio Díaz.

Vicente Riva Palacio was the author of many literary and historical works, including the following:

Novels:

Calvario y tabor,

Monja y casada, virgen y mártir,

Martín Garatuza,

Las dos emparedadas: Memorias de la Inquisición,

Los piratas del golfo,

La vuelta de los muertos,

Memorias de un impostor : Don Guillén de Lampart, rey de México,

Un secreto que mata;

books of poetry:

Flores de alma,

Páginas en verso,

Mis versos;

theatrical works written in collaboration:

Las liras hermanas;

histories and criticisms:

Historia de la administración de don Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada,

Los ceros,

México a través de los siglos, v.2, El virreinato,

El libro rojo (in collaboration);

stories and legends:

Cuentos de un loco,

Cuentos del general,

Tradiciones y leyendas mexicanas(in collaboration).

1832	born in Mexico City.
1845	entered the Colegio de San Gregorio
?	fought in the war against the U.S.?
1854	received law degree, then participated in the revolution of Ayutla
1855	regidor in the municipality of Mexico City
1856	alternate deputy to the constituent congress
1856-1857	secretary of the ayuntamiento of Mexico City until Comonfort took over the government
1858- April 1860	imprisoned because of his liberal ideas
1861	after the War of the Reform, became diputado to the national congress and wrote for the newspaper La Orquesta
1861	wrote dramas and comedies in collaboration with Juan A. Mateos
1862	organized a guerrilla force and joined General Ignacio Zaragoza to fight against the French intervention
1862-1867	continued to fight against the French intervention
1862-1863	Jefe de la línea de Sur de la carretera between Puebla and Veracruz
1862	designated governor of the state of Mexico
1864	Named general de brigada; named jefe de estado mayor; named second in command of the division and chief of the third brigade. Troops under his command took Zitácuaro from the French.
1865-1866	founded and published the newspaper El Pito Real
1865	Designated governor of Michocán; upon the death of General José María Arteaga, Riva Palacio was named General en Jefe del Ejército del Centro.
1865	negotiated an exchange of prisoners with the French
1866?	turned over the Ejército del Centro to Nicolás de Régules, then organized other bands of fighters
1867	was involved in founding and writing for the newspaper El Radical, which remained active until 1873
1867	participated in the sieges of Toluca, Querétaro, and Mexico City
1867-1870	magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice
	traveled and studied in Europe
1873	unsuccessful candidate for president of the Supreme Court of Justice
December 1874	founded the newspaper El Ahuizote, which was published until at least 1876
1876	Minister of Fomento, Colonización, Industria y Comercio; resigned the same year
	dedicated himself to writing
1882	collaborated in the foundation of the Ateneo Mexicano de Ciencias y Artes and served as its president
1884	diputado in the government of President Manuel González
1884	Accused of conspiracy and imprisioned; while in the military prison of Santiago, he wrote the second volume of México a través de los siglos. Retired from the military after his release from prison.
1886	Ministro Plenipotenciario of Mexico in Spain and Portugal. While in Madrid, he developed significant relations with Spanish artists, intellectuals, and politicians.
1896	died in Madrid, Spain

The archives subgroup contains correspondence, literary productions, financial documents, official and legal documents, lists, newspaper clippings, and assorted documents pertaining to the history, politics, economics, and arts of Mexico; to the legal, literary, and military activities of Vicente Riva Palacio; and to his private life and that of his family. Many letters and other items reflect Vicente Riva Palacio's activities in support of the arts and sciences, especially in the organization of exhibitions.

Correspondence consists primarily of letters and telegrams to Vicente Riva Palacio but includes correspondence and assorted papers (1831-1880) of Vicente's father, Mariano Riva Palacio, and grandmother, Guadalupe Hernández de Guerrero. At least 180 of the letters to Vicente Riva Palacio are from Porfirio Díaz and date from 1877-1896. Among the many correspondents are Manuel Payno, Matías Romero, and José Vicente Villada. Letter books describe letters, dated 1876-1878, from public figures, family members, and friends.

Literary productions, primarily written by Vicente Riva Palacio, include essays, speechs, poems, research notes, reports on scientific matters, and other writings. Financial documents include records of Vicente Riva Palacio's income and expenses and Mariano Riva Palacio's records of the income and expenses of the municipality of Mexico from December 31, 1867 to July, 1868 and May, 1869. Lists are of military personnel, property, and reference resources.

The manuscripts subgroup includes "Historia colonial" (G4), "Borradores de los negocios despachados..." (G486.1), "Expediente formado para la continuación de campaña en los pueblos de la demarcación de mi mando ..." (G515), "Correspondencia particular : Minutas" (G522), "Libro en que se acientan las cartas particulares del C. General Vicente ..." (G532), "Memorandum" (G558), "Cuenta documentada del importe del convite ..." (G560), "Discursos al congreso constitucional" (G572), "Ayuda de memoria de la comision. Indice general de lo escrito ..." (G575), "Evolución rutaria y apéndices cutáneos de la raza indígena pura" (G582), "The Native races of America" (G583), "Discurso sobre los antecedentes de la conquista de México" (G587), "Historia general de México. Prospecto" (G604), and "Historia general de México" (G605).

The Vicente Riva Palacio Collection was arranged into Archives and Manuscripts subgroups by earlier library staff. Existing wallets were numbered as received. The Mexican Archives Project staff completed the processing of the collection in March 1995.

I.	Archives
	Wallets #182-198	:	Dated correspondence, etc., 1790?-1896.
	Wallet #199	:	Undated items. "Miscelánea" includes correspondence, literary productions, etc; "Estudios cientificos" include literary productions, reports, etc.; "Poesías" include poems and letters in verse.
	Wallet #200	:	Mariano Riva Palacio's papers pertaining to the governance of Mexico City. Includes "Ayuntamiento de México," January-May 1868, and financial documents of the municipality of Mexico, December 31, 1867- July 1868, and May 1869.
	Wallet #201	:	Documents for Vicente Riva Palacio's historical works on Mexico, 1519?-1867.
	Wallet #202	:	Correspondence with an index, 1864?-1873
	Wallet #203	:	"Correspondencia particular," nine volumes, each with an index, 1876-1878.
	Wallet #204	:	Letter books, 1876-1878.
	Wallet #205	:	"Miscelánea," Assorted documents including legal and offical documents dated 1540 (later copy)-1893; documents relating to the Banco Nacional; and "Reglamentos y Proyectos," 1894.
	Wallet #206	:	Correspondence with Porfiro Diáz, December 28, 1877-November 16, 1896.
	Wallet #207	:	"Miscelánea." Assorted documents, mostly papers of Mariano Riva Palacio and Guadalupe Hernández de Guerrero, including letters to Mariano Riva Palacio dated 1831-1880 and five photographs, dated approximately 1894-1896.
	Wallet #208	:	Telegrams, 1876-1879.
	Wallet #209	:	Account books, 1890-1896.
II.	Manuscripts
	G4	:	"Historia colonial, 1493-1806," chapters 1-6, 8, 11, 14, 16, 19.
	G486.1	:	"Borradores de los negocios despachados ...," 1857.
	G515	:	"Expediente formado para la continuación de campaña en los pueblos de la demarcación de mi mando ...," 1864.
	G522	:	"Correspondencia particular: Minutas," January-February 1866 (letter book).
	G532	:	"Libro en que se acientan las cartas particulares del C. General Vicente Riva Palacio desde el día 1 de enero de 1867," (letter book, January 1- 27, 1867).
	G558	:	"Memorandum," 1877.
	G560	:	"Cuenta documentada del importe del convite del día 31 de diciembre de 1878," December29,1878 to January 4, 1879.
	G572	:	"Discursos al congreso constitucional," 1881.
	G575	:	"Ayuda de memoria de la comision," 1882
	G582	:	"Evolución rutaria y apéndices cutáneos de la raza indígena pura," 1884.
	G583	:	"The native races of America," 1884.
	G587	:	"Discurso sobre los antecedentes de la conquista de México."
	G604	:	"História general de México. Prospecto."
	G605	:	"História general de México." Incomplete original draft, parts A through P.

Return to Mexican Archives Project-Index