List of ambassadors of the United States to Mexico


The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett became the first U.S. envoy to Mexico in 1825. The rank of the U.S. chief of mission to Mexico was raised from Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 1898.
Normal diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico have been interrupted on four occasions:
In addition, the U.S. legation in Mexico was headed by an interim Chargé d'Affaires from April 1864 to August 1867, during the final years of the French Intervention.

List of ambassadors

The following is a list of Ambassadors the United States has sent to Mexico, and other representatives that have served a similar function. The exact title given by the United States State Department to this position currently is "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary."
Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821; so the first three men on this list were sent by President Madison during the Mexican War of Independence. William Shaler participated in the 1812–13 Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition, which was a private military campaign to overthrow the Royalists and resulted in the roadside murder of two provincial governors and about a dozen other officials.
RepresentativeTitleFromToAppointed by
William ShalerSpecial Diplomatic Agent18101812James Madison
John H. RobinsonSpecial Diplomatic Agent18121814James Madison
James WilkinsonU.S. Envoy18161825James Madison
Joel Roberts PoinsettMinister18251829John Quincy Adams
Anthony ButlerSpecial Diplomatic Agent1829
Anthony ButlerChargé d'Affaires18291835Andrew Jackson
William A. SlacumSpecial Diplomatic Agent18351836Andrew Jackson
Powhatan EllisChargé d'Affaires1836Andrew Jackson
Robert GreenhowSpecial Diplomatic Agent1837
Powhatan EllisMinister18391842Martin Van Buren
Henry E. LawrenceSpecial Diplomatic Agent1842John Tyler
Waddy Thompson Jr.Minister18421844John Tyler
Moses Yale BeachSpecial Diplomatic Agent1843John Tyler
Gilbert L. ThompsonSpecial Diplomatic Agent1844John Tyler
Wilson ShannonMinister18441845John Tyler
John SlidellMinister1845James K. Polk
David ConnerSpecial Diplomatic Agent1846James K. Polk
Nathan CliffordMinister18481849James K. Polk
Robert P. LetcherMinister18491852
Robert GreenhowSpecial Diplomatic Agent1850
George G. GossSpecial Diplomatic Agent18501852
George W. SlacumSpecial Diplomatic Agent1851Millard Fillmore
Edward SmithSpecial Diplomatic Agent1852Millard Fillmore
Alfred ConklingMinister18521853Millard Fillmore
George E. CooperSpecial Diplomatic Agent1853
Christopher L. WardSpecial Diplomatic Agent1853
James GadsdenMinister18531856
Richard S. SpoffordSpecial Diplomatic Agent1854Franklin Pierce
John Forsyth Jr.Minister18561858Franklin Pierce
William M. ChurchwellSpecial Diplomatic Agent1858James Buchanan
Alfred MordecaiSpecial Diplomatic Agent1858James Buchanan
Duff GreenSpecial Diplomatic Agent1859James Buchanan
David R. PorterSpecial Diplomatic Agent1859James Buchanan
Robert Milligan McLaneMinister18591860James Buchanan
Henry Roy de la ReintrieSpecial Diplomatic Agent1860James Buchanan
John B. WellerMinister18601861James Buchanan
Thomas CorwinMinister18611864
Robert W. ShufeltSpecial Diplomatic Agent1862Abraham Lincoln
Lewis D. CampbellMinister18661867Andrew Johnson
Marcus OtterbourgMinister1867Andrew Johnson
William S. RosecransMinister18681869Andrew Johnson
Thomas H. NelsonMinister18691873
John W. FosterMinister18731880Ulysses S. Grant
Philip Hicky MorganMinister18801885Rutherford B. Hayes
Henry R. JacksonMinister18851886
Thomas Courtland ManningMinister18861887Grover Cleveland
Edward S. BraggMinister18881889Grover Cleveland
Thomas RyanMinister18891893
Isaac P. GrayMinister18931895
Matt Whitaker RansomMinister18951897Grover Cleveland
Powell ClaytonMinister18971898