Benson Latin American CollectionRare Books and
ManuscriptsInventory
Antonio López de Santa Anna Collection
Prepared by the Mexican Archives Project
February 13, 1995
Introduction
The Antonio López de Santa Anna 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 Santa Anna
Collection was described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in
January 1994.
The collection's physical extent is four inches. Its materials are in
Spanish, and are also available on microfilm.
The following guide is available in Rare Books Reference:
Castañeda, Carlos E. and Jack Autrey Dabbs, eds., Guide to the
Latin American Manuscripts in the University of Texas Library.
Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1939.
Documents from the collection were published by Genaro García in
his Colección de documentos inéditos o muy raros para la
historia de México (volumes 2 and 29), Mexico, Vda. de C.
Bouret, 1905 and 1910. The collection also furnished substantial source
material for Carlos E. Castañeda's The Mexican side of the Texan
revolution, Dallas, Tex., P.L. Turner, 1928.
The suggested citation for the collection is "Antonio López de
Santa Anna Collection, 1821-1878, Benson Latin American Collection,
General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin."
Biographical Sketch
President of Mexico. Born 1794 or 1795 in Jalapa; died 1876 in Mexico
City. Began military career in 1810; promoted to brigadier general in
1822. Offices and honors include: governor of Yucatan (ca. 1825 and
1829), governor of Veracruz (1828), benemérito de la patria (1829),
and benemérito en grado heróico (1835).
Santa Anna was first named president of Mexico on March 30, 1833, which
position he repeatedly abdicated and resumed until leaving the office for
the final time in 1855. He led Mexican forces in 1835 and 1836 in the
campaign against Texas independence, and in 1847 in the war with the
United States. During the latter he served alternately as president and
as military commander.
Santa Anna spent repeated periods of exile in the Caribbean. Upon one
return to Mexico in February 1864, he promptly was deported by General
Achille Bazaine for failing to abide by the terms of the agreement
allowing his reentry. Santa Anna was imprisoned in 1867 then exiled
until 1874, when he returned to Mexico under a general amnesty. He died
in poverty in Mexico City on June 20, 1876.
Chronology
| 21 Feb 1794/5 | born in Jalapa, Veracruz |
| 6 July 1810 | entered the Veracruz infantry as a
cadet |
| 13 March 1811 | went with his regiment to Tampico
to suppress insurgents working for the separation of Texas |
| 1813 | returned to Veracruz, promoted for bravery
to first lieutenant |
| 1814 | made aide to General Dávila, royalist
commander of Veracruz |
| March 1816 | promoted to captain |
| March 1821 | given command of troops in Veracruz,
sent to rescue Orizaba and Córdoba from pro-independence
forces |
| 23 March 1821 | arrived in Orizaba, defeated the
insurgent Miranda | |
| 29 March 1821 | General Herrera arrived, as did
dispatch from Viceroy making Santa Anna lieutenant colonel as reward for
Miranda's defeat; Santa Anna joined Herrera in support of
Iturbide |
| 25 April 1821 | Santa Anna came to Herrera's aid at
Tepeaca, defeated the Spanish colonel Hevia |
| rewarded by Iturbide with promotion to Chief of
the Army's 11th Division |
| July 1821 | surrounded Veracruz and suggested that
his old protector General Dávila surrender to him; Dávila
successfully resisted |
| 21 July 1821 | Viceroy Juan O'Donojú arrived
en route to Córdoba, where Iturbide awaited him to finalize
treaties ending Spain's dominance of Mexico |
| Dávila withdrew from Veracruz at the end
of October, still faithful to Ferdinand VII |
| 27 Sept 1821 | Trigarante army entered Mexico
City |
| 28 Sept 1821 | Regency established |
| 25 Oct 1822 | Santa Anna with General Rincón
took Veracruz |
| Iturbide named Santa Anna brigadier general and
Commander of the Province of Veracruz |
| 16 Nov 1822 | suspicious of Santa Anna, Iturbide
arrived in Jalapa, removed Santa Anna from his command, ordered him to
join the Junta de Guerra in Mexico City; Santa Anna instead returned to
Veracruz |
| 2 Dec 1822 | in Veracruz, Santa Anna proclaimed "la
República," declared Iturbide's reign "invalid," demanded new
Congreso Constituyente |
| 1 Feb 1823 | Plan de Casa Mata signed |
| 19 March 1823 | Iturbide abdicated |
| government sent Santa Anna to San Luis
Potosí as commander of the province |
| 5 June 1823 | Santa Anna announced his support of
the Federal Republic |
| called to Mexico, Santa Anna placed under house
arrest |
| freed by intervention of Vicente Guerrero, was
reinstated as brigadier general and named military commander of
Yucatán |
| mid-1824 | arrived at Campeche |
| declared war on Spain, tried to invade Cuba
against the wishes of the Mexican government |
| 25 April 1825 | government accepted Santa Anna's
resignation as Governor (?) of Yucatán |
| President Guadalupe Victoria named him director
of the Corps of Engineers, but Santa Anna soon gave up post; went to
Alvarado (Veracruz), married Inés de la Paz, n.d. (Inés
García?), bought hacienda of Manga de Clavo |
| 30 Dec 1826 |
| (23 Dec 1827?) | Vicente Guerrero sent to put down
Montaño's rebellion at Otumba; Santa Anna offered his services to
Guerrero |
| 7 January 1828 | Santa Anna and Guerrero defeated
and exiled Barragán and Bravo |
| Santa Anna named Governor of Veracruz in
Barragán's place |
| 1 Sept 1828 | Congress declared Pedraza president
and Vicente Guerrero vice-president |
| 12 Sept 1828 | Santa Anna demanded that presidency
be given to Guerrero |
| 3 Dec 1828 | Pedraza fled the presidency |
| 8 Dec 1828 | Guerrero named secretary of
war |
| 1 April 1829 | Guerrero became president |
| Santa Anna again Governor of Veracruz |
| 27 July 1829 | Spanish under Barradas took
Tampico |
| 11 Sept 1829 | Santa Anna with General Mier y
Terán defeated Barradas' troops |
| Santa Anna named "Benemérito de la
Patria" |
| 4 Oct 1829 | Santa Anna returned to
Veracruz |
| 4 Dec 1829 | refused to administer the Plan of
Jalapa with Bustamante against Guerrero |
| 3 Jan 1830 | renounced his politico-military
duties |
| 2 Jan 1832 | Military garrison of Veracruz rebelled
against Bustamante, Santa Anna offered to mediate |
| government accused Santa Anna of leading
rebellion |
| March 1832 | Santa Anna defeated by government
forces |
| 5 Oct 1832 | Pedraza returned from the
U.S. |
| 24 Dec 1832 | Pedraza assumed presidency in
Puebla |
| 3 Jan 1833 | Pedraza and Santa Anna entered Mexico
City |
| 30 March 1833 | Santa Anna named President, with
Gómez Farías as vice-president |
| 1 April l833 | Gómez Farías became
president as Santa Anna pleaded ill health; Farías'policies proved
unpopular |
| 16 May 1833 | Santa Anna resumed
presidency |
| 3 June 1833 | Santa Anna returned presidency to
Farías |
| took command of the army so as to subdue
insurrections of Morelia and Tlalpan |
| held captive by Arista while Gómez
Farías put down rebellion |
| 5 July 1833 | Santa Anna pursued Arista |
| 12 Oct 1833 | defeated Arista in
Guanajuato |
| 27 Oct 1833 | Santa Anna resumed
presidency |
| 15 Dec 1833 | left presidency, requesting from
Congress 6 months' leave because of his health |
| 24 April 1834 | Santa Anna resumed
presidency |
| 27 Jan 1835 | Santa Anna left presidency |
| 11 May 1835 | defeated Salinas in Battle of
Guadalupe, Zacatecas |
| named "Benemérito en grado
heróico" |
| |
| headed exposition to quell uprising in
Texas |
| 26 Feb 1836 | entered Texas, attacked
Alamo |
| 6 Mar 1836 | attacked presidio of Espíritu
Santo |
| 21 Apr 1836 | defeated by Houston at San
Jacinto |
| 18 Jan 1837 | interviewed by U.S. President
Jackson |
| 21 Feb 1837 | returned to Veracruz by boat, to the
cheers of the populace |
| 27 Nov 1838 | French fired on San Juan de
Ulúa, Santa Anna defended |
| 5 Dec 1838 | lost leg |
| 20 March 1839 | Santa Anna succeeded Bustamante as
interim president |
| 30 April 1839 | defeated federalists Mejía
and Urrea at Acajete |
| 10 July 1839 | surrendered presidency to
Nicolás Bravo |
| 10 Oct 1841 | Santa Anna resumed
presidency |
| 26 Oct 1842 | returned presidency to
Bravo |
| 4 March 1843 | Santa Anna resumed
presidency |
| first wife died; married Dolores de
Tosta |
| 4 Oct 1843 | surrendered presidency to
Canalizo |
| 4 June 1844 | Santa Anna took oath as
constitutional president |
| 7 Sept 1844 | obtained leave of absence from
presidency |
| 19 Nov 1844 | Paredes y Arrillaga rebelled in
Guadalajara |
| Santa Anna attacked Arrillaga without consent of
Congress |
| Santa Anna's army deserted; he was captured and
exiled |
| 3 June 1845 | Santa Anna left Veracruz for
Havana |
| 4 Aug 1846 | Paredes y Arrillaga removed from
office |
| 22 Aug 1846 | Santa Anna returned to Veracruz,
proclaiming the reestablishment of the Constitution of 1824 |
| 6 Dec 1846 | Congress named Santa Anna interim
president |
| Santa Anna surrendered presidency to Gómez
Farías |
| went to San Luis Potosí to rally troops
against U.S. General Taylor |
| 26 Jan 1847 | Santa Anna attacked Taylor |
| 23 Feb 1847 | defeated Taylor |
| 21 March 1847 | Santa Anna resumed
presidency |
| 2 April 1847 | surrendered presidency to
Anaya |
| went to fight U.S. General Scott in
Veracruz |
| 20 May 1847 | Santa Anna resumed the
presidency |
| lost five battles against U.S. |
| 16 Sept 1847 | surrendered presidency, escaped via
Guatemala or the U.S., sailed to Jamaica then to Turbaco,
Colombia |
| 1 April 1853 | returned to Veracruz |
| 19 April 1853 | made triumphal entry into Mexico
City |
| 20 April 1853 | Santa Anna resumed the
Presidency |
| 16 Dec 1853 | Council of State gave Santa Anna
"facultades omnímodas," title of "alteza
serenísima" |
| 1 March 1854 | Plan of Ayutla against Santa
Anna |
| 9 Aug 1855 | Santa Anna renounced
Presidency |
| went to Havana, then Turbaco, Colombia |
| 27 Feb 1864 | Santa Anna returned to Veracruz,
promising Bazaine not to be politically active, but continued seeking
support |
| 12 March 1864 | Bazaine deported Santa Anna from
Veracruz |
| Jan 1866 | Santa Anna visited by U.S. Secretary of
State Seward on island of St. Thomas |
| 3 June 1867 | Santa Anna returned to Veracruz,
claiming U.S. endorsement |
| 4 June 1867 | Santa Anna taken with U.S. help to
Sisal, Yucatán, and imprisoned |
| 30 July 1867 | Santa Anna moved to prison of San
Juan de Ulúa |
| Santa Anna's death sentence commuted to
exile |
| 2 Nov 1867 | Santa Anna sailed to Havana, then to
the Bahamas |
| 1874 | Santa Anna allowed to return to Mexico by
Lerdo de Tejada under a general amnesty |
| 20 June 1876 | died in poverty in Mexico
City |
Scope and Contents Note
Correspondence and literary productions. Correspondence pertains to
Mexican military and government affairs in the nineteenth century. Santa
Anna's correspondence with Manuel María Giménez (G430) spans
the period 1829-1875. It stems mostly from his periods of absence from
the government but reflects his plans and opinions on the military and
internal affairs of Mexico. Correspondence with Francisco de P. Mora
(G518) consists of copies of letters exchanged by Santa Anna and Mora
during 1865-1866 concerning their plans for a national movement to
restore Mexican independence, which Santa Anna was to head, and Santa
Anna's expectations that the United States would assist Mexico against
the French. Letters referred to in the published guide as correspondence
with Valentín Gómez Farías were all authored by Santa
Anna, in 1847.
Literary productions include "Documento precioso para la biografia del
General Santa Ana" (G387), which details a disagreement over a debt
incurred in 1813 related to alleged misuse of military funds (G387 was
originally in the Lucas Alamán papers, according to a note made by
C. E. Castañeda); "El eccmo señor general don Antonio
López de Santa Anna en Veracruz" (G505-2), an account of Santa
Anna's 1838 entrance into Veracruz; "Mis memorias, escritas ... en mi
ultimo destierro" (G546), Santa Anna's memoir; "Manifest which General
Santa Anna addresses to his fellow citizens relative to his operations
during the Texas campaign and his capture" (although this is listed in
the published guide as "Manifiesto," it is an English translation of the
original); a September 16, 1847, address by Santa Anna to the citizenry,
announcing the abandonment of the capital and his renunciation of the
presidency; a draft of Genaro García's introduction to Santa Anna's
memoirs; and research notes.
Also included in the collection are a typescript copy of Santa Anna's
will, and "Indice de un paquete de cartas reservadas que se hallaba en la
Secretaria llamada de Estampilla" (G411).
Subgroups and Series
The Antonio López de Santa Anna Collection was arranged into
subgroups by earlier library staff. The processing of the collection
was completed by the Mexican Archives Project staff in January 1994.
Documents are arranged chronologically within folders. Items bearing
manuscript numbers are shelved numerically. The subgroups and series
are:
I. Archives
- Series, Correspondence, 1833-1868.
- Series, Literary productions.
| a. | Manifiestos, proclamas,
etc. |
| | December 2, 1822. Proclamas del
Brigadier Santa Anna a los habitantes y tropa de Veracruz. |
| | December 23, 1832. Convenio
celebrado entre las divisiones al mando de los ecsmos. señores d.
Anastasio Bustamante y d. Antonio Lopez de Santa-Anna. |
| | April 29, 1834
(oversized) |
| | May 10, 1837. "Manifest which
General Antonio López de Santa Anna addresses
to his fellow
citizens relative to his operations during the Texas campaign and his
capture." |
| | September 16, 1847. Announces
abandonment of capital and renunciation of presidency. |
| b. | Draft of Genaro García's
introduction to Santa Anna's memoirs. |
| c. | Research notes. |
- "Copia del Testamento de Santa Anna," Veracruz, September 26,
1827.
II. Manuscripts
| G387 : | "Documento precioso para la biografia
del General Santa Ana," 1821. Details a disagreement over a debt
incurred in 1813 related to alleged misuse of military
funds. |
| G411 : | "Indice de un paquete de cartas
reservadas que se hallaba en la Secretaria llamada de Estampilla,"
1823. |
| G430 : | "Correspondencia autografa del Exmo.
Sr. Gral. Santa-Anna y el Coronel Manuel Maria Jimenez," 1829-1875.
Stems mostly from Santa Anna's periods of absence from the government but
reflects his plans and opinions on the military and internal affairs of
Mexico. Includes a letter dated 1878 from Giménez to Santa Anna's
daughter, and a note from Giménez dated January 26, 1878, recording
the date of Santa Anna's death. |
| Attached to G430-68 is "Acontecimientos
acaecidos en Veracruz con el exmo. sor. gral. d. Antonio Lopez de
Santa-Anna desde la llegada del sor coronel d. Manuel Maria Gimenez
á dicha ciudad el 2 de marzo de 1864, hasta el reembarque de s.e.
el dia 12 del mismo mes. Abril 20 de 1864." |
| G505-2 : | "El Eccmo Señor General Don
Antonio López de Santa Anna en Veracruz ...". 1863. Account of
Santa Anna's 1838 entrance into Veracruz, in "Biografia del Sr. Coronel
Manuel M. Jimenez." |
| G518 : | "Correspondencia entre el Sr. Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna y el Sr. D. Francisco de P. Mora," 1865-1866. Copies
of letters exchanged by Santa Anna and Mora concerning their plans for a
national movement to restore Mexican independence. |
| G546 : | "Mis memorias, Escritas de mi
puño y letra sin ayuda de nadie, en mi ultimo destierro,"
1874. |
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