Brothers in the Fight Against Oppression

The close relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juárez

Brothers in the Fight Against Oppression: The Close Relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juárez

By Sheryl Losser

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (U.S. Library of Congress)

If you have been to Mexico City — among all the statues commemorating Mexican historical figures and events — you may have been surprised to come across a statue of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.  The statue in Parque Lincoln is identical to the one in London’s Parliament Square (The original stands in Lincoln Park in Chicago).

Abraham Lincoln is a much-revered historical leader in Mexico.  There are numerous Lincoln statues in Mexico, including one towering over Tijuana’s grand boulevard, Paseo de Héroes, and one in Ciudad Juárez.  There is also a statue of Mexican President Benito Juárez in Washington, DC in the United States.

Statue of President Abraham Lincoln in Parque Lincoln in Mexico City (U.S. Consulate General in Mexico/Benjamin Medina)

Abraham Lincoln Opposes the Mexican-American War

Lincoln’s support of Mexico began when, as a young Congressman from Illinois, he took a courageous stand against the Mexican-American War.  Lincoln opposed President James K. Polk’s 1846 invasion of Texas which started the war but there was strong patriotic fervor in the country and many supported Polk’s expansionist plans.  Lincoln was not opposed to territorial expansion, only expansion of slavery.  He also respected Mexico’s sovereignty and thought the U.S. should have a good relationship with its southern neighbor.

Lincoln accused Polk of using a falsehood to justify a war. After a skirmish in the disputed territory of what is now southern Texas, Polk declared, “American blood has been shed on American soil” and as a result, a state of war existed with Mexico. Lincoln proceeded to introduce the first of eight resolutions opposing the war. The first resolution questioned the constitutionality of the war and challenged the proponents of war to show him the “spot” where blood had been shed.  His resolutions became known as the “spot” resolutions and people called him “spotty Lincoln”.   His opposition to the war was so unpopular with his constituents in Illinois that he decided not to run for re-election.