Benito Juárez

Hello! My name is Benito Juárez, and I want to share my story with you. I was born on March 21st, 1806, in a small village called San Pablo Guelatao in Oaxaca, Mexico. My family was Zapotec, an indigenous people with a rich history. Sadly, my parents passed away when I was only three years old, and I went to live with my grandparents and then my uncle. I worked as a shepherd in the mountains, but my heart was full of a big dream: I wanted to learn how to read and write. I knew that education was the key to a better life, not just for me, but for all people.

When I was 12 years old, in 1818, I walked to the big city of Oaxaca to find a school. It wasn't easy. I didn't speak Spanish very well, only my native Zapotec language, and I had no money. A kind man, a bookbinder named Antonio Salanueva, took me in and saw my desire to learn. He helped me enroll in a seminary, a school for priests. While I studied there, I realized my true passion was not religion, but justice and law. In 1828, I began studying law at the Institute of Arts and Sciences. I worked hard and became a lawyer, determined to use my knowledge to help others and fight for fairness.

As a lawyer, I defended poor villagers and indigenous communities against those who tried to take their land. This work led me into politics. I believed that Mexico needed new laws to make sure everyone was treated equally. In 1847, I was elected governor of my home state, Oaxaca. As governor, I worked to build roads and schools and made sure the government's money was spent honestly. However, my ideas, which were called 'liberal' ideas, were not popular with everyone. The powerful president at the time, Antonio López de Santa Anna, saw me as a threat. In 1853, he had me arrested and forced me to leave Mexico. I lived in exile in the United States, but I never gave up on my country.

I returned to Mexico in 1855 to join other liberals in a movement we called La Reforma, or The Reform. Our goal was to create a modern, democratic Mexico. We wrote a new constitution in 1857 that guaranteed freedom of speech and established that all people were equal under the law. One of my first major acts was a law named after me, the Ley Juárez, which said that the special legal privileges of the army and the church were over. These changes led to a long conflict called the Reform War. After years of fighting, the liberals won, and in 1858, I became the president of Mexico. It was an incredible honor to lead the nation I loved so much.

My presidency faced its greatest challenge when France invaded our country in 1862. The French emperor, Napoleon III, wanted to establish an empire in Mexico. Our army was small, but our spirit was strong. On May 5th, 1862, our brave soldiers won an amazing victory against the French army at the Battle of Puebla—a day you might know as Cinco de Mayo. Despite this victory, the French army was too powerful and eventually took over Mexico City. They installed a European prince, Maximilian, as the emperor of Mexico. I had to flee the capital, but I never surrendered. I led the government in resistance, moving from city to city, keeping the spirit of the republic alive.

After five long years, with the help of the Mexican people, we finally defeated the French forces in 1867 and restored our republic. I returned to Mexico City as president and famously said, 'Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.' I spent my final years working to rebuild our nation and strengthen our democracy. I lived to be 66 years old. Today, people remember me as a national hero who defended Mexico's independence and fought for a government that served its people. My story is a reminder that no matter where you come from, with education and determination, you can change the world for the better.