Introduction to Mexican Culture
THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION
HISTORICAL EVENTS BEFORE THE REVOLUTION
1810 – 1821
Independence War
1835 – 1836
Texas War of Independence
1839 – 1843
Yucatan Secession.
The Yucatan region attempted to break away
from Mexico.
1846 – 1847
US – Mexican war
1847
Yucatan Rebellion
THE PORFIRIATO
1876 – 1911
Porfirio Díaz was president (except between
1880 – 1884 when Manuel González ruled).
Although the Porfiriato was a prosperous
period, large social differences intensified.
1899 – 1904
Yaqui Indian war
Eight Yaqui Indian chiefs demanded Mexican
withdrawal from the Sinaloa region.
THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION
1910 – 1920
Riots and violence persisted until 1934 when
president Lázaro Cárdenas implemented the
reforms of the 1917 Constitution and ended
more than 20 years of violence.
UPRISING
Francisco Madero was the leader of the
Antireeleccionistas.
In 1908,Porfirio Díaz was unsure about running
for president for the seventh time.
Madero announced his candidacy, but Díaz
changed his mind and imprisoned him and
declared himself president after a very dubious
election process.
UPRISING
After being released from prison, Madero led a
non successful revolt in Chihuahua; however
the news had a great impact on different parts
of Mexican territory.
Pascual Orozco and Pancho Villa rebelled
against the government in the North and
Emiliano Zapata in the south.
MADERO’S REGIME
Each revolucionario had its own agenda.
In 1911, they forced Porfirio Díaz to resign and
acknowledged Madero as a President ;
however, there was no unity and Madero’s
regime was a failure since its start.
MADERO’S REGIME
The land reform was the leitmotiv of the
revolution.
Zapata was the first one to turn against Madero
claiming that Madero was slowing down the
land reform process.
THE US CONSPIRACY FOR HUERTA
The USA Government thought Madero may
become a threat for US business in the
Mexican territory.
The US conspired against Madero and
supported Victoriano Huerta, who arrested
Madero.
Madero was assassinated in 1913 and Huerta
became president.
CARRANZA BECOMES PRESIDENT
Villa, Alvaro Obregón and Venustiano Carranza
opposed to Huerta’s cruel regime and forced him
into exile in 1914.
As usually among caudillos, Carranza declared
himself president against Villa’s will.
After a very violent period, Zapata, Villa, Obregón,
and Carranza held a convention where they all
agreed upon supporting Eulalio Gutiérrez as
interim president because of Villa and Carranza’s
rivalry.
GUTIERREZ BECOMES PRESIDENT
Obregón changed his mind and re-allied
himself with Carranza turning his back to Villa
and Zapata.
Villa and Zapata lost ground blaming Woodrow
Wilson’s government for supporting Carranza.
Villa took retaliation against the US by killing 17
American citizens in American border towns in
1916.
CARRANZA’S SECOND TERM
Carranza was president again leading the
writing of the 1917 Constitution.
The Constitution conferred him dictatorial
powers, and the right to confiscate land.
The 1917 Constitution sought to limit the power
of the Roman Catholic Church.
OBREGON BECOMES PRESIDENT.
Carranza remained in power by eliminating
those who opposed to his regime.
Emiliano Zapata was assassinated in 1919.
Carranza was killed when fleeing the capital in
1920.
Obregón became president.
Villa was assassinated in 1923.
THE 1917 CONSTITUTION
The revolution ended in 1920, but the next 14 years were
characterized by social and political unrest.
The Constitution invested Mexico's congress and state
legislatures with the power for dismantling the great estates,
forcing large landlords to sell their lands in many installments.
The main goal was to eliminate the traditional landlordism in
order to modernize agriculture.
Outright confiscation of land was to take place only if an owner
refused to comply.
Post-revolutionary governments have implemented successive
contradictory land-reform policies.
OUTCOMES OF THE 1917 CONSTITUTION…
provided labor with an eight-hour working day, a
minimum wage, an annual vacation of at least
fifteen days, compensation with dismissals, a
right to strike.
abolished child labor.
limited foreigners’ agricultural property.
excluded foreigners from owning property on
the US and Mexico’s border and at seacoast
zones.
OUTCOMES OF THE 1917 CONSTITUTION…
took primary schooling away from the Catholic
Church, making primary education in secular
schools compulsory.
called for elections every six years.
Carranza won the first elections and was
inaugurated president on May 1rst, 1917.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE REVOLUTION
Changed the way society perceived women.
Was the foundation for modernizing the
economy.
Impacted on the Arts (literature, music,
painting, cinema).
Provided Mexicans with a sense of identity.
Inspired other land reforms in Latin America.
REFERENCES
Ulloa, Berta. (1996). La lucha armada (19111920) en Historia General de México. Vol.2, pp.
1073 – 1182. México, D.F.: El Colegio de México.
McCaa, Robert. “Los millones desaparecidos: el
costo humano de la revolución mexicana.” Trans.
José Rodolfo Gutiérrez Montes. Mexican
Studies/Estudios Mexicanos 19.2 (Summer
2003). 6 Mar. 2008
<http://www.hist.umn.edu/~rmccaa/costo_huma
no_revolucion_mexicana.pdf>.
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