What was the War of Reform?

The War of Reform (1858–61) was a civil war (conflict
among citizens of a nation) in Mexico that began three years after the collapse of the
government. In 1855 revolutionary leader Ignacio Comonfort (1812–1863) became president
of Mexico when he helped overthrow the dictatorship (government under the absolute
control of one ruler) of President Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794–1876). Two years
later Comonfort and his supporters drafted a constitution (a document specifying the
laws of a nation) that removed property from the control of the Roman Catholic Church
and reduced the privileges of the army. Comonfort's government faced bitter opposition
to these policies, and the War of Reform broke out the following year. Giving in to
political pressure, Comonfort fled the country and Benito Juárez (1806–1872), former
minister of justice and minister of the interior, became president. Faced with strong
opposition from supporters of the army, called conservatives, Juárez withdrew from
Mexico City and set up the capital at Veracruz, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. At
Veracruz Juárez's government had control over customs receipts (taxes collected on goods
brought in by ship), which it used to purchase arms and finance operating expenses.
Eventually, Juárez and his allies defeated the conservatives and reentered Mexico City
in January 1861, thus ending the War of Reform. Juárez was elected president later that
year. The conservatives then sought foreign aid and received it from French leader
Napoleon III (1808–1873), who was interested in starting a colonial empire. The French
directly challenged Juárez's authority by installing Maximilian (1832–1867) as emperor
of Mexico. Juárez led the country in a successful campaign against the French, expelling
them in 1867 when he resumed the presidency. He died in office, in
1872.

Further Information:
DeVerona, Frank. Benito Juárez: President of Mexico. Brookfield,
Conn.: Mill-brook Press, 1994; History of Mexico 4. [Online]
Available target="_blank">http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/MEX4.html, October 25,
2000; MacMillan, Dianne M. Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de
Mayo. Springfield, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, 1997; "Mexico."
Electric Library. [Online] Available href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/06747.html"
target="_blank">http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/06747.html, October
25, 2000.