bell ions ▁and ▁other ▁political ▁acts ▁were ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁Liber als ▁and ▁against ▁central ize ▁rule ▁from ▁Mexico ▁City . ▁J alis co ▁and ▁other ▁western ▁states ▁tried ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁coal ition ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 ▁against ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁Antonio ▁López ▁de ▁Santa ▁Anna , ▁but ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁under ▁threat ▁of ▁violence ▁inst ig ated ▁by ▁Santa ▁Anna ▁sympath izers , ▁keeping ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁line . ▁During ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War , ▁J alis co ▁planned ▁def ensive ▁measures ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁Qu er ét aro , ▁San ▁Luis ▁Pot os í , ▁Z ac ate cas ▁and ▁Agu as cal ientes . ▁However , ▁although ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁came ▁as ▁close ▁as ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁San ▁Bl as , ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁not ▁inv aded ▁before ▁the ▁war ▁ended . ▁ ▁The ▁national ▁strugg les ▁between ▁Liber als ▁and ▁Conserv atives ▁continued ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁with ▁J alis co ' s ▁government ▁changing ▁eigh teen ▁times ▁between ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 4 . ▁While ▁there ▁was ▁support ▁for ▁Federal ism , ▁most ▁Liber als ▁were ▁polit ically ▁aligned ▁against ▁the ▁Church , ▁which ▁enjoyed ▁strong ▁support ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁During ▁the ▁Reform ▁War , ▁Ben ito ▁Ju á rez ’ s ▁Liberal ▁government ▁was ▁forced ▁out ▁of