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From the parents of Antonio López de Santa Anna and Manuela Pérez de Lebrón, famous Mexican Revolutionary general, Antonio López de Santa Anna was born in Jalapa, Mexico.
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In 1810 at sixteen, he became an army cadet. He had found what he wanted to do.
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Santa Anna and about five hundred others were sent by boat to Tampico. From there they were to march to fight Hidalgo's forces. They were disappointed, for the priest had been captured elsewhere by the time they arrived.
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He loved soldiering. It was exciting, and rewarding. He demonstrated his courage during a battle in San Luis Potosí province in August, 1811 He was promoted quickly to second lieutenant.
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His unit dashed to Coahuila,Texas province to suppress a rebellion there. They took no prisoners.
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He helped Agustín de Iturbide and the war for Mexican independence, but in 1823 he helped overthrow Iturbide.
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He won election to the presidency of the independent republic of Mexico. He did this by a popular majority.
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He soon after determined that Mexico was not ready for democracy. He then marked himself a dictator.
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Determined to destroy the Texas rebels, Santa Anna took control of the Mexican army that invaded Texas. His forces successfully defeated the Texas rebels at the Alamo, and he personally ordered the execution of 400 Texas prisoners.
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Soothed into overconfidence by his initial easy victories, Santa Anna was taken by surprise at San Jacinto, and his army was destroyed. The captured Santa Anna, fearing execution, willingly signed an order calling for all Mexican troops to withdraw.
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The government was broke in 1853 and having difficulty in paying its army, money needed to be found to maintain the government. Santa Anna made a critical mistake. He sold a portion of Mexican territory to the hated U.S. His Liberal Party opponents, who had been fighting him for years, assembled enough support to overthrew him in 1855 and send him back into banishment one more time.
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After a long and complex life, sadly Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna past away. The almost blind, 82 year old died in Mexico city, Mexico.
