In 1829, President Andrew Jackson celebrated Spain's humiliating defeat at the hands of General Santa Anna of Mexico. Jackson boasted of "the spirit of independence" that rebuked and "perhaps forever stifled" Spain's attempts to reconquer not only Mexico, but any of her former colonies in South America. Santa Anna's astounding victory made him into a living legend and hero, and if there was a contemporary counterpart to Andrew Jackson himself, it was the 8th President of the United States of Mexico, Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna.
President Jackson was no friend of Spain, he had for years fought to remove any influence they might have in the Americas. Perhaps most notably was his invasion of Spanish Florida in 1818 in what became known as the Seminole Wars and helped convinced Spain to cede all of Florida to America. So, it's no surprise that we see now President Andrew Jackson celebrating the defeat of Spain in Mexico. The recent invasion of Mexico, that Jackson is talking about is what we know today as the 'Battle of Tampico, 1829'. Andrew Jackson described it as a rebuke of "the fell spirit of civil dissension" and suggested that Spain's attempts to conquest it's former colony may now be "for ever stifled" in Mexico by "the love of independence".
"The recent invasion of Mexico, and the effect thereby produced upon her domestic policy, must have a controlling influence upon the great question of South American emancipation. We have seen the fell spirit of civil dissension rebuked, and perhaps for ever stifled, in that Republic by the love of independence. If it be true, as appearances strongly indicate, the spirit of independence is the master spirit, and if a corresponding sentiment prevails in the other States, this devotion to liberty can not be without a proper effect upon the counsels of the mother country. The adoption by Spain of a pacific policy toward her former colonies -- an event consoling to humanity, and a blessing to the world, in which she herself can not fail largely to participate -- may be most reasonably expected."On July 5th, 1829 General Isidro Barradas of Spain left Cuba to conquer Mexico with 3586 soldiers along with Sovereign their flagship, two frigates, two gunships and 15 transport vessels. After 21 days on the water, the majority of these Spanish troops advance towards the port town of Tampico and seized it. Here, they were attacked and defeated by General Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón, better known as Santa Anna. Santa Anna was a Mexican politician and general who proved to be a hero during the Mexican War for Independence. His influence in Mexico was so great that historians often refer to the first half of the nineteenth century in Mexico as the 'Age of Santa Anna", and he was often called 'the Man of Destiny'. In 1833, Santa Anna became the 8th President of the United Mexican States where except for a few years, he stayed in office until 1855
As early as June Santa Anna learned that Spain was planning to invade his country, and went into action as soon as he heard the news that General Isidro Barradas had landed. In 3 days, Santa Anna raised a "forced loan" of 20,000 pesos from the business class of Veracruz and confiscated all the boats that could be mobilized. On August 9, he set sail for Tampico a week before the Mexican Congress authorized the action. Meanwhile a calvary of about 600 men headed north to meet up with his seaborne men. On August 21st, he launched his first attack on Tampico where street fighting led to an immense amount of bloodshed. When Spain asked for talks to begin, Santa Anna called for a truce. After a couple rounds of negotiations, Santa Anna realized that Barradas was attempting to lead him into a trap, and once back in safety Santa Anna wrote to inform Barradas that he would not accept anything other than the Spaniard's unconditional surrender. On September 9th, a hurricane hit the coast and the area was under the siege of heavy rain and high winds. The troop's tents were blown away and their fortifications were destroyed. With half of their ammunition ruined and all of mother nature against him, Santa Anna refused to stop and ordered another bloody assault on Barradas. The battle raged on throughout the night and into the next day until Barradas surrendered at 3:00 in the afternoon. On September 11, 1829 Barradas surrendered his flag and weapons and agreed to return to Cuba. The news of this resounding victory astounded the people of Mexico and transformed Santa Anna into a living legend. There is no doubt that President Jackson heard of his stories, and perhaps the "spirit of independence" that Jackson referred to as a "master spirit" was General Santa Anna. It was the same spirit, that led General Andrew Jackson to victory in the battle of New Orleans and in Jackson's words, "if a corresponding sentiment prevails in the other States, this devotion to liberty can not be without a proper effect upon the counsels of the mother country." It was a lesson the British learned in the American revolution, and were reminded of in the War of 1812, and it was a lesson that Spain now learned in 1829. It was a lesson that would no doubt lead Spain to a "pacific policy toward her former colonies" and end any attempts to reconquer her colonies in South America. Some of you may better recognize Santa Anna from the Battle of the Alamo and the Mexican-American, where the General and President may be less favorably remembered by Americans, but in 1829 he was recognized for his leadership in maintaining the spirit of independence in Mexico.
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). Andrew Jackson: First Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29471 [Accessed 30 Aug. 2018].En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Antonio López de Santa Anna. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_de_Santa_Anna [Accessed 30 Aug. 2018].
Fowler, W. (2010). Santa Anna of Mexico. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, pp.119-123.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Batalla_de_Tampico_1829.JPG
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