Laura Mantecón Arteaga

La mejor clase 6A (1845 – December 14, 1900) was First Lady of Mexico and also the first Mexican woman to seek to get legally divorced. She was married to General Manuel González Flores, who served as President of Mexico from 1880 to 1884, and separated from him in 1878, while he was still President.

Born into a wealthy family in Oaxaca, Mantecón was well-educated. She married González, a widower, in 1860, and they had two sons, Manuel and Fernando. Her husband was known for his dissolute lifestyle, frequently visiting brothels. Throughout their marriage, Mantecón endured physical and financial abuse. Moreover, González had numerous extramarital affairs, fathering several children whom he later acknowledged.

In 1885, Mantecón filed for what would be the first divorce case in Mexico at the second chamber of the civil court. Although she personally drafted all documents presented to the court, she was represented by Juan Cordero.

She went on to establish a school, a guest house, studied homeopathy abroad, became a seamstress, and opened a women's clothing store. However, her husband continued to harass her and sabotage her ventures. Neither relatives nor friends offered her any assistance, and she spent her final days in solitude, estranged from her children, and living in poverty.

Early life The Fernández de Arteaga Mantecón family, which had established roots in Oaxaca de Juárez since the early 17th century, was well-connected through broad familial, commercial, political, and financial networks in that part of Mexico. Mantecón was born into this affluent family in 1845. Her father, José Manuel Simeón Fernández de Arteaga y González, was a lawyer and politician from Mexico City (born February 18, 1810, died March 27, 1855), who also served as the Governor of Oaxaca from 1846 to 1847. Her mother, Josefa Mariana Mantecón-Pacheco y Santibáñez (circa 1811 - August 31, 1872), was a devoted housewife from Oaxaca.

Laura chose to use the Mantecón surname because it was more prestigious, following a common custom among women of that era to choose between their paternal or maternal surnames. The wealthy Fernández de Arteaga Mantecón family ensured that all their children received proper educations; Mantecón was notably well-educated, which was quite rare for women of her time.

Marriage and family In September 1860, married the Lieutenant Colonel of the Conservative Army, Manuel González. From the González Mantecón union, two sons were born, both of whom pursued military careers: Manuel González Mantecón (March 20, 1863 - April 9, 1913 ) and Fernando González Mantecón (July 6, 1865 - January 25, 1937 ).

After getting married, Mantecón and González initially settled in a small apartment on the second floor of an old building on Calle Mesones in the Historic center of Mexico City, situated above a dairyshop, a bookshop, and a tortilleria. There, according to one of their descendants, Mantecón wore trousers and worked in the fields, giving instructions to the builders and workers on the property. During his presidential tenure from 1880 to 1884, González lived with another woman in the Peralvillo house, which he previously shared with Mantecón. To avoid harming González's political career, Mantecón chose to separate rather than take legal action, moving out in 1878. She lived independently for seven years, and after González's presidential term ended in 1885, she filed for divorce She stated she personally witnessed her husband's disgraceful behavior with their housemaids on various occasions. She complained about her husband's vices, passions, and erotic urges. Furthermore, he exposed her to significant risks by sending her on dangerous paths frequented by bandits and deserters, often only accompanied by low-ranking soldiers who failed to respect her. Her funeral at the Panteón de Dolores lacked the customary accolades typically given to the spouses of prominent politicians. In contemporary discourse, Mantecón is still sometimes blamed for allegedly harming and discrediting General González.