The Refuge of Freedom, the Guardian of the Republic. The sleepy collection of missions and Presidios on the Rio Grande found greatness handed to them in the fires of the French Intervention, where Benito Juárez led the Republic in its bitter struggle against foreign tyranny. As time went on, the crucial intersection of America and Mexico grew prosperous, but still remained the haven of freedom fighters such as Madero, Carranza, and Villa, who placed a premium on the city's symbolic, logistical, and economic importance.

Today, Juárez is looking brighter and brighter. The border industrialization program brings American companies and jobs across the river. The city has undergone a beautification program with new neo-colonial architecture. And thousands of Mexican migrants and American tourists come to this rapidly growing city, a centerpiece of the north. With the economy booming and a rich history of defiance behind them, Juárez seems more and more like the vision of Mexico many dream it will be.