Vicente Guerrero Biography

Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was a military leader and statesman who served as the general in the Mexican War of Independence and later as the second president of Mexico. He was involved in the war against the Spanish Empire in the early 19th century. Originally from the state of Puebla, Guerrero was of Afro-Mestizo ancestry. While many members of his family favoured Spanish rule, he developed contradictory views as he grew up. In 1810, he became part of the early insurgency against Spain. In November that year, he officially became part of the rebellion. In the ensuing few years, he rose through the ranks of the rebel forces to become a general and persuaded Agustín de Iturbide to switch sides. During Iturbide’s reign as the Mexican emperor, Guerrero rebelled against him. After the fall of Iturbide's imperial government in 1823, he emerged as one of the Constituent Congress' ruling triumvirate. Despite losing the 1828 presidential election, Guerrero became the president following a coup and held the office between April and December of 1829. During this short tenure, he advocated for the cause of Mexico's common people and outlawed slavery. He was ousted from power by Vice-president Anastasio Bustamante and spent the next two years fighting before he was captured and executed by the Conservative government in 1831.