Stanley R. Ross

The military and political career of José Joaquín de Herrera, 1792-1854

My interest in President Herrera was first aroused in Dr. Charles W. Hacketts course in Mexican history at The University of Texas, in which he brought out Herreras reasonable and statesmanlike attitude concerning the recognition of Texas independence. Herrera hoped to recognize the independence of Texas on the basis that she remain an independent republic. However, when Texas voted for annexation to the United States, Herrera was willing to negotiate with the United States concerning the southern boundary of Texas in an effort to prevent possible hostilities. Unfortunately, the war party in Mexico, led by Paredes, forced Herrera from the presidency, due to his conciliatory attitude. Had Herreras proposals been carried out to a successful conclusion, the war between the United States and Mexico would not have occurred, and Mexico would have been spared invasion and the loss of additional territory. In the light of present-day interest in inter-American cooperation and cultural development, it is particularly timely to study the life of a man who worked for international peace and friendship and for the constitutional development of democratic processes in his own country. His long career of public service was marked by moderation, a fundamental respect for law and order, and a sincere interest in the people and the nation which he served. His private life was also above reproach. He occupies a unique place in Mexican history in that he was the first constitutionally-elected president to complete his term of office and to turn over that office to his constitutionally-elected successor. Herrera deserves the highest praise for his efforts as president, following the war with the United States, to promote the reconstruction and regeneration of the nation. He gave to Mexico an era of comparative internal stability and a period of economic and constitutional progress without parallel from the days of independence to 1848. In view of the position of prominence held by Herrera and the importance of the era in which he lived and which he helped to shape, it seems unusual that no Mexican or American author has written an extensive account of his life in Spanish or English. For these reasons and with these thoughts in mind, I have endeavored to trace the military and political career of one of Mexicos truly outstanding presidents and statesmen, Jose Joaquin de Herrera

Dwight W. Morrow, ambassador to Mexico.

Historical evaluation of the Morrow mission to Mexico, October, 1927 to September, 1930, has been ill-served by polemicists, adulators, and critics who have misrepresented the state of relations between the United States and Mexico in 1927, misinterpreted the nature of Morrow’s accomplishments, and overemphasized the persistence of the problems with which he had to deal. It is the purpose of this paper to clarify the circumstances attendant on Morrow’s appointment, to describe the character of his mission, and to evaluate the consequences of his efforts in Mexico.

Bibliography of Sources for Contemporary Mexican History

SCHOLARS UNDERTAKING to labor in the vineyard of twentieth century Mexican history soon discover that their sources are voluminous and dispersed. The task of investigatioll is rendered more difficult by the absence of catalogues and bibliographical guides which could expedite the localization of data. It is this writers privilege to be able to report an effort, in which he is participating, to remedy in a measure this deficiency. Members of the Seminar on Contemporary Mexican History at El Colegio de Mexico have been engaged since July, 1957, in the localization and evaluation of the sources for the contemporary history of Mexico. The project is under the personal supervision of Lie. Daniel Cosfo Villegas, Director of El Colegio de Mexico, and has received support from the Rockefeller Foundation. The participating scholars have selected the period of the Mexican Revolution, defined as encompassing the years 1910-1940, as the focus of their program and have launched a three-pronged attack on the bibliographical problem. The goal is the creation of critical guides to books and pamphlets, to material in governmental and private archives, and to the literature contained in newspapers and periodicals. While there are a number of general bibliographies1 which include the period in question as well as certain specialized guides,2 the