Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Porfirio Díaz Papers |
Born into a poor Mestizo family, Porfirio Díaz studied law in his native Oaxaca. As a young man, he aligned himself with the Juárista liberals at the outbreak of war with France, becoming a leading general after the French defeat at Puebla in 1862. When Napoleon III, with conservative Mexican support, succeeded in making Maximilian emperor of Mexico, Díza worked closely with Juárez, leading the republican guerrilla resistance. Under pressure from the United States and Prussia, the French evacuated Mexico in January, 1867, as Juárista forces advanced to the capital. Maximilian was besieged at Querétaro, captured, and executed in May. Díaz later served as President of Mexico, 1877-1880 and 1884-1911.
Political and military papers of Porfirio Díaz, general in the War of French Intervention, 1861-1867, president of Mexico.
This collection deals primarily with the events of 1867. It contains a full record of Díaz' leadership during the War of French Intervention, the southern campaign of the Army of the Orient which culminated in occupation of Mexico City, and the role played by states and municipalities in overthrowing the empire. The material dated before and after 1867 has valuable local information for the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Vera Cruz.
Purchased, 1949
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