Compare Santa Anna to Juárez: Santa Anna was a military dictator while Juárez was a reformist president. Santa Anna supported centralization while Juárez believed in federalism. Santa Anna lost much of Mexico's territory while Juárez led Mexico during its victory against France.
Mexican politics from 1836-1876: The Liberals aimed for a secular government, land reform, and separation of church and state. The Conservatives supported the Catholic Church, aristocracy, and a strong central government. The Liberals succeeded in implementing many of their goals, while the Conservatives repeatedly attempted to overthrow them.