Lerdo de Tejada, Miguel definition of Lerdo de Tejada, Miguel in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Lerdo de Tejada, Miguel (mēgĕl` lĕr`thō dā tāhä`thä), d. 1861, Mexican liberal statesman, a leader of the Revolution of Ayutla Plan of Ayutla, drawn up in 1854, was a reform program directed toward removing the dictator Santa Anna and convening a constituent assembly to frame a federal constitution.
..... Click the link for more information. , cabinet member under Juan Álvarez. As minister under Comonfort Comonfort, Ignacio (ēgnä`syō kōmōnfôrt`), 1812–63, Mexican general and president (1855–58).
..... Click the link for more information. , he initiated the Ley Lerdo (1856), a law providing for the forced sale of all real property of the Roman Catholic Church. He helped draft the constitution of 1857 and later drew up a law nationalizing church property. His laws, disastrous failures in his day, were essential parts of the reforms of Benito Juárez Juárez, Benito (bānē`tō hwä`rās), 1806–72, Mexican liberal statesman and national hero.
..... Click the link for more information. . His younger brother,

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, 1820?–1889, also an important liberal in the Revolution of Ayutla, was for years a close associate of Juárez. He succeeded as provisional president after the death of Juárez (1872). A revolt under Porfirio Díaz Díaz, Porfirio (pôrfē`ryō dē`äs)
..... Click the link for more information. , begun in 1871, was put down. The reform laws were incorporated in the constitution (1874). Order was restored for a time, but when, in 1876, Lerdo procured the consent of congress to his continuance in office, a new revolt began, again led by Porfirio Díaz. Lerdo's forces were defeated, and he fled to New York City, where he died.

Bibliography

See biography by F. A. Knapp (1951, repr. 1968).