Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, a Mexican general, born in Jalapa, Feb. 21, 1798. He began his military career in 1821, against the royalists, and after some success was given the command of Vera Cruz (1822); but insubordination led to his dismissal, and he took revenge by aiding in the downfall of the emperor Iturbide. Becoming chief of the federal party in the succeeding contest, he was signally defeated, and retired to his home. At the end of 1828 he secured the overthrow of the Pedraza administration, and shortly after the elevation of Guerrero, who made him minister of war and commander-in-chief of the army, after Santa Anna had repelled the Spanish invasion under Barradas, in September, 1829. He subsequently headed two successful insurrections, one to replace Guerrero in the executive functions by Bustamante, and the other to overthrow the latter in favor of Pedraza (January, 1832). In March, 1833, he was elected president; but, though a favorite with the army, he was unpopular with the nation, being suspected of aiming at the imperial crown. Several insurrections broke out, the last and most formidable of which was crushed by Santa Anna on May 11, 1835, when the insurgents sustained severe losses, and the republican party received a fatal blow.

A complete administrative reorganization was now effected, and the governors of the several states were henceforth dependent upon the supreme power. A revolutionary feeling long existing in Texas now broke out into open insurrection. Early in 1836 Santa Anna took the field in person. By the middle of February he reached the Rio Grande at the head of 6,000 troops, stormed the Alamo at San Antonio on March 6, after several days' siege, and massacred its defenders, but with great loss to himself, and after the massacre at Goliad, done under his express orders, marched toward Gonzales. At San Jacinto he was totally routed by the Texan army under Houston, April 21. The next day he was taken prisoner, and his functions were at once suspended by the Mexican government. In 1837 he returned to his native country by way of the United States, but was coldly received, and at the presidential election of that year he had only 2 out of 69 electoral votes, after which he retired to his estates at Jalapa. The same year he took part in the defence of Vera Cruz, bombarded by the French, and there sustained an injury which necessitated the amputation of a leg.

In the long contention between the centralists and federalists he was one of the leaders of the former; and from Oct. 10, 1841, to June 4, 1844, he was virtual dictator, under the title of provisional president. He was again constitutional president, under the instrument of June 12, 1843, from June 4 to Sept. 20, 1844, when he was deposed by a new revolution, taken prisoner near Tlacolula on Jan. 15, 1845, and banished for ten years, and took up his residence in Cuba. In 1846 he was recalled, appointed generalissimo, and in December made provisional president. Immediately after, at the head of 20,000 men, he advanced northward, and on Feb. 22, 1847, attacked the American troops at Buena Vista, 5,000 strong, under Gen. Taylor, by whom he was effectually repulsed on the following day. Having raised a new army, he took up a position at Cerro Gordo, where he was again defeated by the Americans, under Gen. Scott, on April 18. Collecting 3,000 men from the fragments of his army, he retreated toward the city of Mexico. Late in April he was informed of his appointment to the presidency by congress; but finding subsequently that the election for president which the states had held on May 15 was unfavorable to his pretensions, he prevailed on congress to postpone the counting of votes until January, 1848, and in the mean time banished or imprisoned all who opposed his schemes, and established a severe censorship of the press.

He had organized an army 30,-000 strong for the defence of the capital; but Molino del Rey was stormed by Gen. Scott on Sept. 8, 1847, and Chapultepec on the 13th, and on the 14th the city of Mexico fell. Santa Anna now resigned the presidency, and made a last effort to retrieve his reputation by the siege of Puebla; but he was attacked by Gen. Lane at Huamantla, and forced to retire from the place, which was now relieved. Having received permission from the American commander-in-chief, he sailed for Jamaica on April 5, 1848.

In 1853 he returned to Mexico, and was received with great enthusiasm. He was appointed president for one year, after which time he was to call a constituent congress; but he. fomented a new revolution by which he was declared president for life, with power to appoint his successor, and with the title of most serene highness. He began to rule with despotic authority, and the revolution of Ayutla followed, led by Gen. Alvarez. After a struggle of two years, Santa Anna signed his unconditional abdication, and sailed on Aug. 16, 1855, for Havana. He afterward spent two years in Venezuela, and thence went to St. Thomas. During the French invasion he reappeared in Mexico, and pledged himself to strict neutrality; but a manifesto tending to excite disturbance in his favor led Gen. Bazaine to order him to quit the country in May, 1864. Maximilian, however, appointed him grand marshal of the empire; but in 1865, having been implicated in a conspiracy against the emperor, he again withdrew to St. Thomas. In 1867 he made a last attempt to gain ascendancy in Mexico, but was taken prisoner at Vera Cruz and condemned to death.

Juarez pardoned him, on condition of his quitting Mexican soil for ever, and he came to the United States. Since the death of Juarez he has been permitted to return, and he now (1875) lives in seclusion in the city of Mexico.