After the fall of the Second Mexican Empire, Emperor Maximilian I and two leading imperial generals (Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía) were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to death. Their executions at Querétaro removed the main symbolic leadership of the imperial cause and cleared the way for the republic to reassert authority nationwide.
Benito Juárez reentered Mexico City, marking the practical restoration of republican rule in the capital after years of war and occupation. His return signaled a shift from wartime survival government to rebuilding state institutions and seeking political stability.
Juárez issued a decree calling for national elections and a referendum on several proposed constitutional changes. The move sparked controversy because critics argued the executive was overstepping constitutional procedures, foreshadowing later conflicts over presidential power and re-election.
Voters participated in a constitutional referendum alongside broader elections. Although Juárez won re-election, the proposed constitutional changes were not ultimately accepted in practice, reflecting resistance within the liberal coalition to expanding presidential authority.
In national elections held after the republic’s military victory, Juárez was elected president for a new term. The result helped re-legitimize the constitutional government, but it also intensified rivalry with other liberal leaders, especially Porfirio Díaz.
Juárez’s government published a major education law for the Federal District, aiming to expand public schooling under state direction rather than church control. The policy fit the broader Liberal project of building a secular republic and strengthening civic institutions through education.
The Escuela Nacional Preparatoria (National Preparatory School) opened in Mexico City under the leadership of educator Gabino Barreda. It became a centerpiece of Juárez-era educational reform, promoting a modern curriculum intended to train students for higher studies and public service.
Juárez ran again in 1871 and won, but without a majority, leading Congress to choose the president. The contested outcome deepened political polarization, as opponents argued that repeated re-election threatened republican principles.
After losing the 1871 election, Porfirio Díaz proclaimed the Plan de la Noria in Oaxaca, calling for armed resistance and the principle of "no re-election." The rebellion failed militarily, but it made re-election a central issue in Mexican politics and previewed Díaz’s later rise.
Juárez died in office in Mexico City, ending the leadership of the main Liberal figure of the Reform era and the struggle against the French intervention. Under constitutional succession rules, Supreme Court president Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada became interim president, opening a transition to the next phase of the Restored Republic.
Restored Republic and the presidency of Benito Juárez (1867–1872)