Miguel Lerdo de Tejada

Miguel Lerdo de Tejada , d. 1861, Mexican liberal statesman, a leader of the Revolution of Ayutla , cabinet member under Juan Álvarez. As minister under Comonfort , 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 . 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 , 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).