This seven-term President of Mexico first took power in 1876 and was overthrown during the Mexican Revolution. Earlier in his life, he participated in a Mexican civil war known as the Reform War and also fought the French at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. He initially trained as a priest; however, following his involvement as a volunteer in the Mexican American War, he decided to pursue a military career instead. He later studied law at the Instituto de Ciencias.
