page_title: Matías Romero
hierarchical_section_title: Matías Romero
context_page_description: Matías Romero Avendaño was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served three times as Secretary of Finance and twice as ambassador of Mexico to the United States during the 19th century.
  Romero began preparatory courses in Law while still living in Oaxaca. In 1855 he moved to Mexico City, and he received his Law degree on 12 October 1857. He joined the liberals under command of General Ignacio Zaragosa, and traveled to Guanajuato to join the Army. However, he was instead commissioned into the Ministry of Relations. He accompanied Juárez to Guadalajara, but was briefly imprisoned by Commander Landa. After being freed, he followed Juárez to Veracruz via Panamá. He served as Melchor Ocampo's private secretary in Veracruz, and as official in various secretariats.
  In 1859, Romero published "Tabla sinóptica de los tratados y convenciones que han negociado los Estados Unidos de México con las naciones extranjeras". In December of that year he was named Secretary of the Mexican Legation in Washington, D.C. By December of the following year he was directed by Juárez to approach Abraham Lincoln, who had recently won election as US President, but had not yet assumed the Presidency.
context_section_description: Matías Romero Avendaño (24 February 1837 - 30 December 1898) was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served three times as Secretary of Finance and twice as ambassador of Mexico to the United States during the 19th century.
  Romero began preparatory courses in Law while still living in Oaxaca. In 1855 he moved to Mexico City, and he received his Law degree on 12 October 1857. He joined the liberals under command of General Ignacio Zaragosa, and traveled to Guanajuato to join the Army. However, he was instead commissioned into the Ministry of Relations. He accompanied Juárez to Guadalajara, but was briefly imprisoned by Commander Landa. After being freed, he followed Juárez to Veracruz via Panamá. He served as Melchor Ocampo's private secretary in Veracruz, and as official in various secretariats.
  In 1859, Romero published "Tabla sinóptica de los tratados y convenciones que han negociado los Estados Unidos de México con las naciones extranjeras". In December of that year he was named Secretary of the Mexican Legation in Washington, D.C. By December of the following year he was directed by Juárez to approach Abraham Lincoln, who had recently won election as US President, but had not yet assumed the Presidency.
  Romero remained in Washington until 29 April 1863, when he was recalled to Mexico City to be elevated to the rank of Colonel and "Jefe del Estado Mayor del general Porfirio Díaz". In September he was returned to Washington, to serve as Minister of México in the United States, remaining there until October 1867.
  On 15 January 1868, Romero was named Secretary of Hacienda by President Benito Juárez. In May of that year, he was returned to Washington to complete the treaties which he had initiated in his previous assignment. Treaties signed pertain to claims of Mexican citizens against the U.S. and vice versa, citizenship, and consular matters. By 1 August his work on those treaties was concluded, and he returned to Mexico, as Secretary of Hacienda.
  On 15 May 1872, Romero resigned from the Ministry (deteriorating health). By September 1875, he entered government service again, as substitute senator for Chiapas. By the following autumn he was named Deputy to the Congress of the Union for the fifth district of Oaxaca.
  In May 1877 he was charged with the office of the Minister of Treasury (Hacienda). In 1879 he again resigned from government service for health reasons.
caption: Carte de visite presented to the United States government in 1863
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