Altamirano was born in
Tixtla,
Guerrero, of indigenous
Chontal heritage. His father was the mayor of Tixtla, this allowed Ignacio to attend school there. He later studied in
Toluca thanks to a scholarship that was granted him by
Ignacio Ramírez, of whom he was a disciple. As a liberal politician, Altamirano opposed
Benito Juárez's continuation in office in 1861, allying himself with other liberal foes of Juárez and supporting
Jesús González Ortega. With the
French invasion of Mexico in 1862, Altamirano understood how dire the situation was for Mexico, since unlike the
U.S. invasion (1846–48), which united Mexicans against the invader, the French were supported by Mexican
conservatives. His best-known novel is
El Zarco, which is set in
Yautepec, Morelos during the
Reform War of 1857–1860. It tells the story of an honorable and courageous Indian blacksmith who falls in love with a haughty village girl, only to have her elope with the cold-blooded bandit, "Zarco Blue Eyes." He founded several newspapers and magazines including
El Correo de México ("The Mexico Post"),
El Renacimiento ("The Renaissance") (1869),
El Federalista ("The Federalist"),
La Tribuna ("The Tribune") and
La República ("The Republic"). Altamirano was president of the
Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística (Mexican Society for Geography and Statistics) from 1881 to 1889. He was also public prosecutor, magistrate and president of the
Supreme Court, as well as senior officer of the Ministry of Public Works and the Economy. He died in
San Remo, Italy, in 1893. == Bibliography ==