The president of Mexico (1861–72) and a national hero, Benito Juárez fought foreign occupation under the emperor Maximilian and pursued constitutional reforms that helped establish a democratic federal republic, setting the stage for Mexico’s remarkable modernization in the last quarter of the 19th century and freeing …

civil war (known as the War of the Reform or Reform War), which was won by the liberal government by 1860. By the Laws of La Reforma (1859), church property, except for places of worship, was to be confiscated without compensation, monasteries were suppressed, cemeteries nationalized, and civil marriage instituted.…

The major goals of this movement were to undermine the power of the Catholic Church in Mexico, separate church and state, reduce the power of the Mexican military, and integrate Mexico’s large indigenous population as citizens of Mexico and not a protected class.

The War of Reform (Spanish: Guerra de Reforma) in Mexico, during the Second Federal Republic of Mexico, was the three-year civil war (1857–1860) between members of the Liberal Party who had taken power in 1855 under the Plan of Ayutla, and members of the Conservative Party resisting the legitimacy of the government and …

May 11 – Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. state (see History of Minnesota). May 19 – The Marais des Cygnes massacre is perpetrated by pro-slavery forces in Bleeding Kansas. August 16 – U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new trans-Atlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria.

Conservatism in the United States is a political and social philosophy which characteristically shows respect for American traditions, republicanism, and limited government. It typically supports Judeo-Christian values, moral universalism, American exceptionalism, and individualism.