The Most Influential Mexicans Since Independence

Agustín de Iturbide (1783-1824) was born into a wealthy family in the current Mexican state of Morelia and joined the army at a young age. He was a skilled soldier and quickly rose in the ranks. When the Mexican War of Independence broke out, Iturbide fought for the royalists against insurgent leaders such as Jose Maria Morelos and Vicente Guerrero. In 1820, he switched sides and began fighting for Independence. When the Spanish forces were finally defeated, Iturbide accepted the title of Emperor in 1822. Infighting between rival factions quickly broke out and he was never able to get a firm grip on power. Exiled in 1823, he tried to return in 1824 only to be captured and executed.

By the 1860's, embattled Mexico had tried it all: Liberals (Benito Juarez), Conservatives (Felix Zuloaga), an Emperor (Iturbide) and even a mad dictator (Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna). Nothing was working: the young nation was still in a state of near-constant strife and chaos. So why not try a European-style monarchy? In 1864, France succeeded in convincing Mexico to accept Maximilian of Austria (1832-1867), a nobleman in his early 30's, as Emperor. Although Maximilian worked hard at being a good Emperor, the conflict between liberals and conservatives was too much, and he was deposed and executed in 1867.

Benito Juarez (1806-1872) was President on and off from 1858 to 1872. Known as "Mexico's Abraham Lincoln," he served during a time of great strife and upheaval. Conservatives (who favored a strong role for the church in government) and Liberals (who did not) were killing one another in the streets, foreign interests were meddling in Mexico's affairs, and the nation was still coping with the loss of much of its territory to the United States. The unlikely Juarez (a full-blooded Zapotec Indian whose first language was not Spanish) led Mexico with a firm hand and a clear vision.

Porfirio Diaz (1830-1915) was President of Mexico from 1876 to 1911 and still stands as a giant of Mexican history and politics. He ruled his nation with an iron fist until 1911, when it took nothing less than the Mexican Revolution to dislodge him. During his reign, known as the Porfiriato, the rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and Mexico joined the ranks of developed nations in the world. This progress came at a high price, however, as Don Porfirio presided over one of the most crooked administrations in history.

In 1910, long-term dictator Porfirio Diaz decided it was finally time to hold elections, but he quickly backed off his promise when it became apparent that Francisco Madero (1873-1913) would win. Madero was arrested, but he escaped to the United States only to return at the head of a revolutionary army led by Pancho Villa and Pascual Orozco. With Diaz deposed, Madero ruled from 1911 to 1913 before he was executed and replaced as President by General Victoriano Huerta.

Born into grinding poverty in Mexico's dry, dusty north, Pancho Villa (real name: Doroteo Arango) led the life of a rural bandit during the Porfiriato. When the Mexican Revolution broke out, Villa formed an army and enthusiastically joined in. By 1915, his army, the legendary Division of the North, was the mightiest force in the war-torn land. It took an uneasy alliance of rival warlords Alvaro Obregon and Venuztiano Carranza to bring him down: his army was destroyed in a series of clashes with Obregon in 1915-1916. Still, he survived the revolution only to be assassinated (many say on Obregon's orders) in 1923.