Justo Sierra Méndez (January 26, 1848 – September 13, 1912), was a Mexican prominent

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

writer, historian, journalist, poet and political figure during the

Porfiriato , common_languages = , religion = , demonym = , currency = , leader1 = Porfirio Díaz , leader2 = Juan Méndez , leader3 = Porfirio Díaz , leader4 ...

, in the second half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. He was a leading voice of the ''

Científico The ''Científicos'' (Spanish: "scientists" or "those scientifically oriented") were a circle of technocratic advisors to President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz. Steeped in the positivist "scientific politics", they functioned as part of his progra ...

s'', "the scientists" who were the intellectual leaders during the regime of

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...

Life and career

He was the son of Mexican novelist

Justo Sierra O'Reilly Justo Sierra O'Reilly (Tixcacal-Tuyú; 1814 in Yucatán – 1861 in Mérida, Yucatán) was a Mexican novelist and historian, the father of Mexican author and political figure Justo Sierra Méndez. Sierra O'Reilly was born in the southeastern Mexica ...

, who is credited with inspiring his son with the spirit of literature. Sierra moved to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

at the age of 13 in 1861, the year of his father's death, and also, coincidentally, the year of the French intervention in Mexico. Together with his fellow young students, Sierra responded with patriotic fervor to the invasion of his country, and became a lifelong militant liberal. His most enduring works are sociopolitical histories (at times verging on memoirs) of the era of

Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Liberalism in Mexico, Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec peoples, Zapo ...

and

, particularly his political biography of Juárez and his ''Evolución política del pueblo mexicano''.

Antonio Caso Antonio Caso Andrade (December 19, 1883 – March 6, 1946) was a Mexican philosopher and rector of the former ''Universidad Nacional de México'', nowadays known as the National Autonomous University of Mexico from December 1921 to August ...

is considered the definitive statement of the age of the Reform in Mexico. Sierra was elected a member of the

Mexican Academy of Language The Academia Mexicana de la Lengua (variously translated as the Mexican Academy of Language, the Mexican Academy of the Language, the Mexican Academy of Letters, or glossed as the Mexican Academy of the Spanish Language; acronym AML) is the corr ...

in 1887, and served as the Academy's sixth director from 1910 until his death in 1912.

Public service

Elected to several terms as a representative in the federal Chamber of Deputies, Sierra also served the government in various posts. From 1905 to 1911, he agreed to serve as the

Secretary of Public Education The Mexican Secretariat of Public Education ( in Spanish ''Secretaría de Educación Pública'', ''SEP'') is a federal government authority with cabinet representation and the responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of ...

under the Díaz regime. However, he never made a secret of his liberal sympathies and his distaste for the politics of the authoritarian regime. After the overthrow of Díaz in May 1911 and the election of

Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who became the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'etat in February 1 ...

at the outset of the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

, Madero chose Sierra to serve as the Mexican ambassador to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Sierra died from an aneurysm in Madrid in 1912 while serving in his post. His remains were returned to Mexico, where president Madero presided over his magnificent funeral.

Historian

Justo Sierra made significant contributions to the writing of Mexican history. His texts on pre-revolutionary Mexico continued to be used in Mexican public schools even after the

. President

Álvaro Obregón Álvaro Obregón Salido (; 17 February 1880 – 17 July 1928) better known as Álvaro Obregón was a Sonoran-born general in the Mexican Revolution. A pragmatic centrist, natural soldier, and able politician, he became the 46th President of Me ...

's Minister of Public Education,

José Vasconcelos José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial personalities ...

republished Sierra's ''Historia Patria'' for use in schools.Thomas Benjamin, ''La Revolución: Mexico's Great Revolution as Memory, Myth, and History''. Austin: University of Texas Press 2000, p. 141.

Selected works

*''Compendio de historia general'', México, 1878 *''Compendio de la historia de la antigüedad'', México, 1880 *''Confesiones de un pianista'', México, 1882 *''Historia general'', México, 1891 *''Cuentos románticos'', México, 1896, 1934, 1946 *''Juárez. Su obra y su tiempo'', México, 1905–1906 *''Historia de México. La Conquista. La Nueva España'', Madrid, 1917 *''Prosas'', México, 1917 *''Poemas'', México, 1917 *''Discursos'', México, 1918 *''Poesías, 1842-1912'', México, 1938 *''Evolución política del pueblo mexicano'', México, 1941 *''Justo Sierra. Prosas'', México, 1939 *''Obras completas'', XV vols., México, 1948-1949.

Life and career

Public service

Historian

Selected works

See also

References

Further reading