1. ANNA OF MEXICO

2. Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Perez de Lebrón, also known as Santa Anna, was born in Jalapa, Veracruz, on February 21, 1794 as the son of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and Manuela Perez de Lebrón. He was President of Mexico eleven successful times for as long as 22 years. When Santa Anna turned 16, he joined the Vera Cruz Infantry Regiment in June under the command of Jose Joaquin de Arredondo. There, he spent the next years battling insurgent and Indian tribes. He soon realized this was his true passion.

3. Immediately, Santa Anna was sent to the 1810 Mexican Revolution. Before long, he was assigned to a cavalry unit, which was known for brutal charges, risk taking, and the execution of all prisoners. In 1810, the same year that Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla started Mexico’s first attempt to gain independence from Spain, Santa Anna joined the colonial Spanish Army under Joaquin de Arredondo, who taught him much about dealing with Mexican nationalist rebels (the raise in arms against one's government). In 1811, Santa Anna was wounded in the left arm by an arrow.

4. In 1821, Santa Anna switched sides and declared his loyalty to rebel leader "El Libertado,” the future Emperor of Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide. He rose to prominence by quickly driving the Spanish forces out of the vital port city of Veracruz in 1821. After Santa Anna declared his loyalty to the Emperor, Iturbide rewarded him with the rank of general, yet in 1823, Santa Anna was among the military leaders supporting the Plan de Casa Mata to overthrow Iturbide and declare Mexico a republic. By 1824, Santa Anna was appointed governor of the state of Yucatán. On his own initiative (ability to act on your own), Santa Anna prepared to invade Cuba.

5. In 1825, Santa Anna married a girl named, Ines Garcia, daughter of a prosperous Spaniard, and fathered five children. He acquired more land and became a successful gentleman farmer. However, he was soon bored with his marriage and family and turned to wrenching and gambling. He still missed the military life and he was no longer a national political factor. Soon, his wife died in the year of 1844. A month after his wife died, 50-year-old Santa Anna married 15 year-old Maria Dolores de Tosta and fathered several more children by her.