José Joaquín Antonio Florencio de Herrera y Ricardos (February 23, 1792 – February 10, 1854) was a Mexican statesman who served as president of Mexico three times (1844, 1844–1845 and 1848–1851), and as a general in the Mexican Army during the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848.
He fought in the Mexican War of Independence initially remaining loyal to Spain, but he switched sides towards the end of the war to join the Plan of Iguala. During the First Mexican Republic, he served as Minister of War twice.
Under the Centralist Republic of Mexico, he reached the position of president of the council of state, which led to him becoming president twice. When Santa Anna took power in 1844, he installed Valentin Canalizo as his puppet ruler, but as Canalizo was not present at the capital at that time, Herrera was made interim president while Canalizo arrived and only remained in power for ten days. After Santa Anna and Canalizo were overthrown in 1845, Herrera, president of the council of state was once again chosen to assume the presidency. Herrera would find himself overthrown at the end of the year amidst accusations that he was committing treason by attempting to recognize the independence of Texas, though his intentions were to create a buffer state as a guard against further American encroachment.
After the end of the Mexican-American War, he was elected president again in 1848, and pursued many measures of economic and political reform. The end of his administration in 1852 marked the first peaceful transfer of power in Mexico since 1824.
Jose Joaquin Herrera was born in Jalapa in 1792 and joined the regiment of La Corona in 1809, the year before the Mexican War of Independence began. He served on the Spanish Loyalist side of the war, and reached the rank of Captain of Fusiliers in 1814. He was present at the Battle of Aculco and the Battle of Calderón Bridge for which he was awarded a medal of honor. He saw action at the Battle of El Maguey and Battle of Zitácuaro and defended the city of Toluca towards the end of the year 1811. In 1813 he fought at Acatlan and at the pass of Mescala and in Chichihualco. He formed part of the expedition sent to retake Acapulco. He formed part of the expedition to Ajuchitlán where he fought at Coyuca, Tepantitlan and Tlacotepec, routing the forces of the insurgent chief Victor Manuel.
In June 1816, he defeated at San Pedro to troops of Marshal Avila, seizing all of his artillery, munitions, and armaments.
He was placed in charge of the district of Tecpan and later the government of Acapulco which was then being administered by the military. He remained at this post until November 1817. He was then sent to relieve the siege of Jaujilla and fought a battle at the river of Zacatula where the opposing armies had entrenched themselves on the opposite shore. He was named principal commandant of the Tierra Caliente until September, 1819. He was in command of forces during the retreat from Tupataro, after which he led his troops to relieve forces at Ajuchitlan. He was present when the Fort of San Gaspar was take in October 1819, after which he returned to his administrative post at Acapulco. The war had mostly died down at this point.
Herrera had now reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and asked to be relieved of his military duties. This being granted he moved to Perote and opened an apothecary. It was during this time when Herrera a had resumed life as a civilian that Agustín de Iturbide proclaimed the Plan of Iguala, which attempted to unite both insurgents and Spanish loyalists through its intentions of establishing an independent Mexican kingdom led by a member of Spanish royalty. Iturbide needed more officers and as his forces passed through Perote, lieutenant colonel Herrera was asked to join them. He refused at first, but Iturbide persisted and Herrera joined on the condition that everything proceed with the utmost order and discipline. Herrera's forces now marched to Tepeyahualco and San Juan de los Llanos where his Column of Grenadiers assumed the name of Imperial Grenadiers. Herrera was elevated to effective lieutenant colonel. The towns of Orizaba and Cordova proclaimed for the Plan of Iguala and Herrera was sent to support them, being joined by Santa Anna. Orizava was officially taken on April 1, 1821, from which Herrera then returned to Cordova where he took a forced loan for twenty five thousand pesos. From there he passed into Puebla to aid Nicolás Bravo and reached Tepeaca, where he fought the royalist Hevia who pursued Herrera back to Cordova beginning the Battle of Cordoba. The battle which took the form of a siege, however was abandoned after Hevia was killed.
Herrera was present at the entrance of the Trigarantine Army into Mexico City and he received the rank of brigadier. He joined in the uprising that resulted in the fall of the First Mexican Empire in 1824, and the interim Provisional Government appointed him to be Minister of War.
He returned to the same post during the liberal administration of Valentín Gómez Farías serving as Minister of War in May 1833, and in February 1834, a post that ended with the overthrow of the Gómez Farías government which also resulted in the fall of the First Republic and the establishment of the Centralist Republic in 1835.
During the Centralist Republic, Santa Anna promulgated a new constitution known as the Bases Organicas in 1844. He intended to rule the nation under this new constitution, but also preferred to do so through the puppet ruler Valentin Canalizo, who was officially called to the presidency on September 12. Not being present in the capital, the post was in the meantime given interim to Herrera who was nominally president for ten days until the arrival of Canalizo.
During his ten-day administration, Herrera celebrated Independence Day on September 16, and oversaw his ministers plead with congress for a new loan, before handing over power to Canalizo.
About a year later General Mariano Paredes proclaimed an uprising against the Santa Anna-Canalizo government, and was joined by five of the northern departments. Santa Anna took to the field to crush the uprising, only to find himself censured by Congress for acting without their approval. In response, Canalizo, who was acting president in the capital, dissolved Congress, which led to an upheaval that ousted him and replaced him with Herrera, president of the council of state. Herrera subsequently reinstated congress, but the country was still split into three loyalties: Congress and the Herrera Government, Santa Anna who still had a formidable number of troops, and Paredes.
On December 6, Herrera published a manifesto appealing to all patriots to join him and assuring that Congress would be reestablished. His promise was fulfilled and congress was able to meet at the National Palace that same afternoon. After having reconvened the congress, Herrera tendered his resignation, but the congress voted for him to remain on December 10. The government then resolved to defeat Santa Anna's remaining forces.
Herrera called to the capital Generals Nicolás Bravo, Juan Álvarez, and Manuel Romero, putting the first at the head of all troops, and General Valencia second in command. Anticipating that without the loyalty of the capital, Santa Anna would head to either Veracruz, Puebla, or Oaxaca, he put those departments on war alert. At this point Paredes recognized the Herrera presidency and they prepared to jointly hunt down Santa Anna, who was preparing to march on the capital.
Mexico City was declared to be under siege and Congress sold bonds to buy provisions. Trenches were dug in the streets and artillery positions on rooftops. As more regions of the nation adhered to Herrera, the government became more confident of their ultimate victory and even offered Santa Anna the opportunity to turn himself in peacefully. The offer was rejected on the pretext that Herrera's government was illegitimate. Santa Anna bypassed the capital and headed towards Puebla which he began to siege. General Nicolás Bravo was sent after him.