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GILDARDO MAGAÑA
1891 - 1939
Levelheaded Mexican
revolutionary, general, and Emiliano Zapata's successor
Gildardo had a knack for Mexican history and
fittingly, he played a major role
in it himself. Busy during the
Mexican Revolution
of 1910,
Gildardo Magaña was made Governor of the Federal
District and Secretary of Government during the
government of the
Convention of
Aguascalientes.
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Gildardo Magaña's Family
Gildardo Magaña's father was
Celso Magaña Caballero. Celso was a successful
businessman and a teacher. Gildardo's mother was
Columba Cerda de Magaña.
Gildardo had 11 siblings. He was the
second child. One of Gildardo's brothers was
Octavio, another one was
Melchor.
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Together with Melchor, Gildardo was sent to
Temple College at Philadelphia.
Gildardo Magaña's middle class family
was relatively well off. They traded goods and shipped them with
their 800 mules.
GILDARDO MAGAÑA IN 1912
Hemeroteca Nacional
Gildardo Magaña Fights for Madero
Back from his studies in the US, Gildardo Magaña
joined the anti-reeleccionistas movement alongside
Camilo Arriaga,
Francisco J. Mújica,
Agustín Maciel,
José Vasconcelos and others. In
other words, Gildardo was rallying against
President
Díaz and for support of
Francisco Madero.
Gildardo was also in favor of the
social and political Plan of Tacubaya,
drafted by Dolores Jiménez y Muro.
For his revolutionary activities
Gildardo was put in prison. The year? 1912. The co-prisoner?
Francisco Pancho Villa.
Gildardo Magaña Fights for Zapata
Fighting now against
Victoriano Huerta, Gildardo got
out of prison in early 1914. He was instrumental in connecting Pancho Villa's northern
revolutionary movement with
Emiliano Zapata's in the south
by travelling back and forth between the two men as well as to
various other revolutionary leaders.
Under the Government of the Convention
of Aguascalientes, Gildardo Magaña
was made Governor of the Federal District. The year? 1915. Although in office for
just a brief period of time, Gildardo displayed an extraordinary
interest in implementing the
Plan of Ayala.
Being an active combatant, Gildardo Magaña
became Major General and the leader of the General Headquarters of the
Liberation Army
of the South, or Ejército Libertador del Sur, at Tochimilco, Puebla. The year? 1917. Gildardo was a gifted diplomat and
when you are able to consolidate quarreling revolutionary generals,
you're extra good, and so was Gildardo. He was noted for his
prudence and sensibility.
After Zapata's death in 1919, Gildardo Magaña
was voted Zapata's successor and leader of the Liberating Army of
the South. Check this event and the amount of votes he received in the
timeline of the Mexican Revolution.
Gildardo Magaña Fights for Obregón
As commander-in-chief of the Zapatista
army, Gildardo worked hard on his two priorities: agrarian reform
and long-term peace for Mexico. Gildardo's efforts received a boost when
President
Venustiano Carranza's behavior
tickled Álvaro
Obregón out of his cozy retirement in April 1920.
Gildardo Magaña and his army fully
supported Obregon and together they were successful, conquered
Mexico City, and brought Carranza down. Obregon became president on
December 1, 1920. And at long last, Gildardo Magaña's desired reforms
finally became
law.
In 1923, Gildardo created
the Confederación Nacional Agraria, or the Agrarian National
Confederation, organizing peasants of the entire country.
In 1936, he was elected governor of
his native state Michoacán, a post he held until his death, which
came about in form of a
heart attack in 1939. Shortly before his death, Gildardo Magaña was
suggested as presidential candidate as
Lázaro Cárdenas's successor, but Gildardo declined the
proposal.
You can pay homage to General Gildardo Magaña
at the Panteón de Dolores, a cemetery in Mexico City, where
his remains rest in peace, or so we hope.
GENERAL GILDARDO MAGAÑA IN 1924
Archivo General de la
Nación
Gildardo Magaña's Writings
Gildardo wrote Emiliano
Zapata y el Agrarismo en México, or in other words Emiliano
Zapata and the Agrarian Reform in Mexico. The work was published
in four volumes. First edition 1937.
GOVERNOR GILDARDO MAGAÑA IN
1938
Right to left: Francisco J.
Múgica, Minister of Communications; Gildardo Magaña;
President Lázaro Cárdenas; and Manuel Ávila Camacho, Minister of War
Archivo Histórico,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
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Gildardo Magaña's Short Biography |
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March 7, 1891 |
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Birth
in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico |
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Studies at the Colegio de Jacona,
Zamora |
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Studies business administration in
San Antonio, Texas |
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Early
1900's |
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Studies accounting at Temple College,
Philadelphia |
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1908 |
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Finishes studies in accounting, no
degree. Returns to
Mexico City; employment as
accountant at Rojas & Taboada in
Mexico City for a few months; joins
anti-reeleccionistas |
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December 28, 1910 |
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Major |
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December 28, 1910 - May 12, 1911 |
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Under
direct orders of Madero, leader of
the Central Revolutionary movement
against Diaz |
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May
12, 1911 |
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Joins
Zapata's army |
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May
21, 1911 |
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Lieutenant Colonel |
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April
9 1912 |
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Colonel of the Cavalry |
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July
11, 1912 |
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Jail
time in the Federal District, meets
Villa |
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Early
1914 |
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Gets
out of jail |
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December 8, 1914 |
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General |
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March
11 - July 11, 1915 |
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Governor of the Federal District and
Secretary of Government |
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September 3, 1917 |
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Major
General |
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1920
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Coup
that brought Obregon to presidency |
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January 1, 1921 |
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General de division |
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1923 |
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Founder of Confederación Nacional
Agraria |
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1926 -
1928 |
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Federal Deputy, State of Michoacán |
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1934 -
1935 |
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Governor of Baja California del
Norte |
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September 16, 1936 |
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Governor of Michoacán |
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December 13, 1939 |
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Death
in Mexico City |
Gildardo Magaña Documents
Knock yourselves out with
Gildardo Magaña's papers (3.5 MB, pdf format). Not completely unexpected
they gave him a Muy Buena for Conducta Militar.
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