The Mexican States

Latin American economies devastated by wars of independence.

Creole upper class continued to dominate society and economy.

Caudillos (strong men) ruled most countries.Military was the only way for men to

advance in social standing

Military dominated politics. Catholic Church kept its role as major

economic forceLargest banking system in the country

General Antonio López de Santa Anna dominated eraPresident 9 different times; lost it after the

Mexican War Liberal Government took over after

Santa AnnaStripped the Church of power; forced to sell

land

In the War of Reform (1857-1861) Liberals under Benito Juárez gained control of Mexico. (Mexican Civil War)

1863-1867 Napoleon III of France controlled Mexico with help of Mexican conservatives.Left Ferdinand Maximilian in charge

Liberals ruled until 1876, but little was done to modernize Mexico.

• Diaz ruled Mexico 1876-1911. Ruled as a caudillo. • Mexico’s inefficient economic system revolved around the hacienda. To achieve his goal of economic development Diaz allowed foreigners to control much of Mexico’s wealth.• Diaz’s rule was harsh with an iron fist

•Pan o palo (bread or the club)

Imprisoned opponents; used army to keep peace at any cost Rurales

Diaz helped modernize Mexico by encouraging foreign investment Suppressed political rights for economic

development

Exports boomed; railroads expanded quickly; yet most remained poor

Wealth concentrated in hands of foreign investors, Mexican elite Offered share of the spoils

Catholic Church became a pillar of Diaz’s dictatorshipReestablished all monasteries and

nunneriesReestablished church schoolsWealth began to accumulate in the hands of

the church in return for turning a deaf ear to the complaints of the masses

Land policy of Diaz – a small minority owned/controlled most of the land (elite landholders). Indians held 2% of the nations land

Nonnative's allowed to take property from indigenous populations.

Standards of living for most Mexicans declined.

Production shifted to export crops (sugar and coffee) – Mexico was less able to feed itself!

Harsh working conditions for people – long hours, low wages, dangerous conditions.

Diaz developed an industrial economy with large subsidies from the United States and other foreign powers.Transportation, mining, oil; foreigners

owned 90% of the value “Mexico, the mother of foreigners and

the stepmother of Mexicans.” Economic recession / U.S. depression

1906-1907. Food crisis 1907-1910 (crop failures)

led to inflation and declining wages Workers strikes

In 55 years between Mexican Independence in 1821 and Diaz’s rise to power (1877), the presidency changed hands 75 times.

Diaz rigged elections, bribed officials, bullied press

Friends and family were promoted or given governmental positions

Francisco Madero

● Reasons for the overthrow of Diaz:o Lack of upward mobility. o Foreign domination of industry.o Concentration of agricultural land in few hands. o Economic recession teamed with InflationoDisparity between rich and pooro Governmental Corruptiono Diaz’s ineptitude in the presidential election of 1910.

Peasant uprisings, workers strikes, Mexican Liberal Party- equality among the sexes, low wages, abusive working conditions

Dictator Porfirio Diaz welcomes change and said Mexico was ready for a democracyAnti-Reelectionist Party: Francisco Madero

(from Coahuila- cattle, wheat, vineyards, mines) took the challenge and looked to create an oligarchy

Early June Diaz had him arrested, he was later freed from jail and fled to Texas

Diaz and his VP Ramon Corral win the election

October 4th 1910 he escapes from prison

Called the election null and void Provisional President- eventually hold

free elections Return of Peasants lands and political

reforms Called for an armed rebellion against

Diaz on November 20th

•Madero returned to Mexico, found rebellion spreading.•Pascual Orozco led a mixed group of rebels in Chihuahua, who fought for their freedoms while the federal troops were ill-trained and reluctant to fight•Pancho Villa, a rebel general from Chihuahua, became the military hero of the Revolution using guerrilla warfare.

•Madero saw him as the perfect military hero

Emiliano Zapata led the Revolution in Morelos.

Small farmer villagers vs. owners of sugarcane plantations17 owners of Haciendas controlled 25%

of the land Captured Morelos in May of 1911;

essential to defeating Diaz Zapata became the hero of the

Mexican peasant with his demands for land reform in his Plan of Ayala.

Villa and Orozco capture Cuidad Juárez Gained access to U.S. arms dealers

In May 21st 1911, under the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, Diaz went into exile but the same institutions exist- Francisco Leon de la Barra, Mexican ambassador to US, interim president

How did your topic help to contribute to the Mexican Revolution?Social CausesEconomic CausesPolitical CausesRole of the Porfiriato regime

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Protection of indigenous rights, agrarian reform, eight hour workday, equal pay for equal work, equal education

Unsuccessful but linked to Diaz departure

Madero makes two mistakes before the electionsDemobilized the revolutionary armies of

the NorthLeon de la Barra- still “Porfirismo without

Porfirio”

A breach opened-up between the Zapatistas in the South and Madero and his followers from the North.

With the existing government, tensions were still present. Leon de la Barra continued to fight with Zapata. Zapata began taking large estates and distributing wealth to the villages

Although people began to question Madero’s ability to rule and control the tensions he was elected president in 1911

•Madero was too idealistic to be a good president.•Conservative nature alienated many revolutionaries, especially Zapata and his followers.•Democracy to Madero- Masses had the illusion of power but the elite made all the major decisions•Economic and Social Democracy: He believed in unions and the ability to strike. Wanted to purchase land and provide it to the landless workers. However, he believed that haciendas were vital to modernization.•Violence and oppression still existed

Lost support of Industrial workersWages, hours, working conditionsUnions and the right to strikeWomen and children protection

Lost Support of the PeasantryLand reform

ConservativesMissed the rule of Diaz

Emiliano Zapata unhappy- Madero refuses to listen and orders Zapata to get rid of his troops

Madero sent the army into Morelos to destroy Zapata. Zapata could avoid destruction, but he was too weak to defeat the federal forces altogether

Turned to haciendados to fund campaign or burnt sugarcane

The Plan of Ayala- Zapatista Movement: Nov. 28 1911

Return the land from the haciendas to the people Mexico would be a land of small independent

landowning farmers

Madero’s failure to carry out land reform lost him the support of the revolutionary peasants

United States foreign policy turned against him after watching his inability to rule. US Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson was against the military operations in Mexico City because it threatened US life and property and if it wasn’t handled than US intervention was necessary

In March 1912 Pascual Orozco with the assistance of the conservatives led a revolution against Madero. Orozco was looking for wealth and political power

Villa and Victoriano Huerta defeated Orozco. Huerta was a cruel, authoritarian drunk at the age of 60

Huerta became head of the army and Madero became totally dependent upon the army for his survival. Madero did not like Huerta

At this time Huerta and Villa began to clash and Huerta arrested Villa Was sentenced to death but saved on Christmas day of

1912 by a friendly army officer

In February with coordination with the US ambassador Henry Lane Wilson, a right wing coup led a revolt on the palace La decena tragica (ten tragic days)

Huerta arrested the president along with other top officials

US named him the head of the provisional government with Felix Diaz (Nephew to the old dictator) to succeed him once an election could be held

Madero was murdered Feb. 22 as he was being transported to the penitentiary (done by two armed men)

Huerta seizure of power fell in favor of the landed aristocrats, the big capitalists, and the church, he was eager to restore the dictatorship similar to Diaz Assassination of Madero not a positive

for his image Felix Diaz was sent to Japan on a

“diplomatic mission” – out of the way

Revolutionary wave rose even higher after the Madero murder and the imposition of Huerta’s terrorist regime

Victoriano Huerta

Emiliano Zapata intensified his struggle against local landowners, Huerta’s allies, and federal troops. This large focus of

federal troops in the south allowed the Northern resistance to take shape

Venustiano Carranza, Governor of Coahuila, led the revolt against Huerta.

Called for the Plan of Guadalupe (March 26, 1913)Called for the overthrow of the dictator and

the restoration of constitutional government Declared war to the death Villa joined with Carranza and won many

victories.

Pancho Villa- assumed leadership in the North (The Constitutionalists) made up of middle classes, miners, industrial workers, and peasants.

He soon recruited an army of 3,000 men. Took control of Chihuahua.Started to attack hacienda; if they did not

join him he took their land Had to settle two scores:

Madero’s MurderHis firing squad sentence

Executed all bandits that he could find and protected US property America sells arms and ammunition

Regionalism vs. central government Revolutionary new order of the state

Reduction of meat pricesdistribution of money, clothing, and other

goods to the poorfifty new schoolsanticlericalism

Robin Hood of Mexico?

Agrarian Program differed from that of Zapata, he felt it should stay under the control of the government until the victory of the revolutionThe north was based around cattle

raising which required large economic units that would work best under the control of the state. Cattle were sold to the US in return for ammunition.

Fearful of Villa’s success and power in the north, Carranza promotes commander Alvaro ObregonBrought up by Indians;

successful in recruiting Apaches

Promised land for the Indians if they fought with Carranza

Wilson’s government refused to recognize Huerta’s regime because it came to power illegally. However, he did allow an embargo on revolutionary arms purchases while permitting US arms sales to Huerta.

Wilson’s biggest fear was that Huerta had cut a deal with Britain and Germany to allow their intervention into Mexican markets.

With the verge of World War I- foreign interest shifted towards the United States and led to a lack of cooperation with Huerta

US set a uniform rate on all goods shipped through the Panama Canal, which led to an end of British support in Mexico

Carranza’s agent in Washington said they would respect foreign property rights which led to the lifting of the embargo

US Sailors were arrested on the Dolphin, (restricted area in Tampico) but were immediately released with an apology.

Commander asked for a severe punishment for the arresting officers, a written apology and a 21 gun salute to the US flag.

Huerta had to refuse or would commit political suicide.

April 21, 1914- Wilson sent fleet into Gulf of Mexico, learned of a German ship heading for Veracruz, he ordered for seizure of the city. Fighting took place till the 27th when the US occupied Veracruz.

19 Americans vs. 200 Mexican casualties Action led to a wave of anti-Yankee

sentiment and Carranza denounced the US action

Led to a Conference at Niagara Falls in May 1914

Carranza was Wilsons choice to put into power but he was too nationalist and didn’t attend the conference but instead sent representatives with no real power

Wilson stops funding Villa and starts funding Carranza (against one another)Wants a weak pro-American government

July 15, 1914- Huerta, recognizing the presence of Villa’s and Obregon’s army, flees to EuropeAugust 15th Obregon’s troops enter Mexico

City

Carranza took the title first chief of the constitutional Army of 40,000 men

Villa joined under his command and his troops were renamed the Northern Division

Alvaro Obregon, who led the anti-Huerta forces in Sonora was named commander of the Army of the Northwest

Within Mexico City Huerta also faced opposition of the intellectuals and the feminist Loyalty club which protested the regimes brutality

Carranza and Villa began to have two different views Villa, “…implant a democratic regime… to secure the

well-being of the workers; to emancipate the peasants economically, making an equitable distribution of lands or whatever else is needed to solve the agrarian problem” Carranza agreed out of fear of losing Villa and his

followers Carranza and Zapata

Zapata kept to the plan of Ayala- wanted removal of old regime

Constitutional Convention at Mexico City Only Obregon attends; gains support

The Constitutional Convention at Aguascalientes declared Carranza “in rebellion” because he refused to share power.

In November 10th, 1914 Villa and Zapata controlled Mexico City. A reign of terror ensued that greatly discredited both men. Obregón and Carranza formed an alliance against them.

Established a provisional government with the hope of the United States backing

Eulalio Gutierrez interim presidentCould not unite the interests of the

middle class, industrialists, and the peasants- No real plan set in place

Lacked resources to reach the deep south Hacienda

Bandits committed the same actions as Zapatistas Hurt his image

What to do with the Hacienda? Who does he side with?

Conflict of ideology with Villa Zapata focused on land ownership Villa focused on a political revolt with power

to regional centers

Dec. 4th 1914- neither wanted the presidency and were certain of only wanting to control their respective provincesZapata believed in localismVilla appeared lazy and lack

of will power President must be loyal to

the revolution Mistake: no president Villa and Zapata

Reign of Terror- December 1914Targeted Zapatistas200 murders, thousands of rapesOrdered the execution of intern president

Eulalio Gutierrez Issued a manifesto against Villa and Zapata Sided with Carranza

Failure of Villa and Zapata to cooperate while Carranza and Obregon lead to their ultimate defeat

Carranza issued the “Adiciones” which addressed the plan for land reforms and a secret promise to the return of hacienda lands taken by the revolutionaries. He gained labor support by creating minimum wage and rights of workers. Women’s equality.

By July 1915 Obregón had defeated Villa, and in October the US recognized the Carranza government.

Obregon offered amnesty to Villistas 40 generals, 5,046 officers, and 11,128 soldiers

agreed

Villa resorted to guerrilla warfare with 200 troops

Obregon used trench warfare that he studied from Europe to defeat Villa for the first time and eventually lead to his demise

United States extended a de facto recognition of his government but they wanted to have a say on important governmental matters- Carranza declared this unacceptable

July of 1915 Zapata’s support dropped Amnesties from Carranza

April 1919- Military General Pablo Gonzalez had a conflict with a Calvary commander (Jesus Guajardo) Zapata tried to smuggle a note to

Guajardo that was intercepted by Gonzalez Guajardo had to kill 50 ex-Zapatista Soldiers

Earned his trust and was eventually shot

Pershing, Villa, and Obregón

In March 1916 Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico17 American casualtiesWorked with Vera Cruz

President Wilson sent the army under General John Pershing into Mexico to catch him.Sent 7,000 Men and 8 planes

Wilson sends John Pershing to pursue Villa in Mexico with $50,000 on his headUS expected Carranza to support this but

instead he demands they withdraw and began to prepare for war Villa was viewed as the national hero

Late 1916 Villa began raiding ChihuahuaMiddle class objected forced loansPeasantry objected forced military service

Early 1917, Villa kills wife of Carrancista paymasterTroops kill 90 women in TorreonTroops also rape women

January 16th, 1917 Participation for land lost in

Mexican-American War (Gadsden)

Carranza issued a General in charge of evaluating the risks Certain war with the US Germany would not be able to

supply a feasible amount of arms The territory had a large English

speaking population Fear of other Latin American

Countries

Obregón

War almost broke out between Mexico and the US. Because neither side wanted war and the US wanted to focus on Europe, war was avoided and US troops left Mexico in February 1917. Mexican Nationalist Victory

The Constitution of 1917 increased Carranza’s power and gave the Mexican government the power to take private property. The Catholic Church was restricted.

First draft did not accommodate the radical view points

Increased power of the President; past DiazAppointment of officials

Article 3 and 130- not a legal entity, limited church control of education, property of the state

Articles 34 and 35 were geared towards women’s rights however they were denied citizenship and political rightsArticle 123- A true labor code- eight hour work

day, child birth benefits, right to organize, bargain collectively, and strike

Article 27-the nation could expropriate the original owner of all lands with compensation to the owner (nation owned land)

Most advanced law codes of its time: massive assault on the hacienda, the power of the church, and foreign capital in Mexico

Carranza became the first legally elected president since Madero Serve one six-year term

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Only returned a small portion to the villages, most land returned to previous owners or Carranza’s generals Peasants cry- “Tierra y libertad” (land and liberty)

Severe repression for the working class, free education was ignored

Poor relationship with trade unions Mexico remained neutral during WWI; limited

diplomacy with Western Hemisphere (Independent)

Law of Family Relations (April, 1917)- Women exercise guardianship and child custody, file lawsuits, and sign contracts

When Carranza’s term came to an end he tried to extend his power by implementing a puppet president. Unsuccessful- Obregón turned against him Issued the Plan of Agua Prieta

In May of 1920 he stole 5 million pesos in gold and silver (national treasury) and set off for Veracruz with 60 railway cars. He was slain on the 21st of May

Devastated land- crops and cattle; mines and factories were closed

Hundreds of thousands missing or dead- population declined by 1 million since 1910Famine and Disease

September 1920- Obregon agreed to Villa’s request for amnesty of 759 menVilla granted a hacienda with 50 armed menAssassinated in 1923

Carranza’s death and Villa’s surrender effectively ended the revolution

Wide range of causes- Nationalism, land reform, workers’ rights and anarchism

Greatest challenge was to secure enough popular support

Ultimately, the constitutionalists were able to satisfy enough sections of Mexican Society Middle class nationalists, wealthy

industrialists, labourers Villistas and Zapatistas failure to unite

and create a central government is their downfall

Create a bio page for one influential leader during the Mexican Revolution to showcase on the “General Mexico” website Date of birth/death… how? Significant events (chronological) Be sure to include social and political

ideologies Stances on the government, land, labor and the

church Alliance systems Support Groups Anything else you find interesting...

Alvaro Obregon became president in November 1920.Originally had been a mechanic and

farmer; grew up in an area with US intervention

Set out to lay the economic, political, and ideological foundations of a Mexican national capitalism

Agrarian Reform and Industrial Reforms

Power in government was held by wealthy generals, capitalists, and landlords

Obregon provided some land to the peasants- however, he did not provide the means necessary for upkeep 3 million acres were distributed; 320 still in

private hands United States and Obregon

Tensions still high over article 27- he would not recognize the United States rights to land owned before 1917 However, he renewed foreign debt payments and

returned National Railways to private ownership US formally recognized the Mexican Government

in 1923

Indigenismo- reassessment of indigenous cultural heritage Wanted to study the indigenous people to

understand their past and present conditions so that they can be incorporated into reconstruction.

Believed that school was the most important institution to reunite the nation

Women took charge of this movement, some 4,000 rural teachers taught the past and implemented capitalist ideas

Public School led to a divide with the church- some teachers were attacked and killed by supporters of the church

● When Villa refused to recognize Plutarco Elias Calles as Obregón’s successor, Obregón had Villa murdered in 1923. Obregón froze the status-quo.● Between 350,000 and one million deaths during eight years of warfare.● The economy of Mexico was modernized. The hacienda no longer dominated the Mexican economy. ● The Catholic Church lost power.● New elites from the urban and industrialized middle-class arose. Upward mobility became available to men without family connections. The mass of people gained little.

Four main forces of the revolution:Progressive Capitalists= rising middle class

Madero, Carranza and ObregonLanded Elite- Hacienda

Diaz and HuertaAgrarian Movement- redistribution of land

ZapataOverthrow of the oligarchy

Villa

Goals: promote Mexican national

capitalismstrengthen the fiscal and

monetary system established the Bank of

Mexico national road commissionnational electricity code

Doubled the distribution of land that Obregon had startedUsually wasn’t arable land, did not make a

serious effort to provide fertilizer, and the governmental bank designed to promote production for the peasants usually provided loans to the Hacendado’s instead

In 1930 grain production turned below the levels of 1910. Abandoned land distribution

Calles introduced machinery and other modern agricultural techniques

Calles did little to advance the rights of Women- opposition arose against him.

In 1925 Mexican Congress passed laws to implement Article 27- 50 year concessions for oil leases in Mexico United States not happy- refuses to follow and

moves them to the thought of war Dwight Morrow (ambassador)- negotiated with

Calles in September of 1927 and was able to get rid of the time constraints

Catholic Church went against the constitution; in 1926 militant Catholics, in alliance with hacendados, attacked and killed many of the teachers in rural areas

January 1926- Church declared the constitution of 1917 “wounds the most sacred rights of the catholic church”Education

Calles responsed with The Calles Law- registration of priests with civil authorities and the closing of religious primary schools

Catholics guerrillas, Cristeros, responded with the slogan, Viva Cristo Rey (long live Christ the King)Put down by the summer of 1927

Obregon and Calles worked together to amend the constitution and extend the presidential term to from 4 to 6 years and allow reelection after one term out of officeHoped to rotate the presidency Plan took a halt after Obregon was

elected in 1928 but was assassinated in July of 1928 by a Crisero

In response Calles organizes the National Revolutionary Party (PNR later PRI)- takes down the last of the powerful military caudillos. Puppets (3) of Calles ruled during Obregon’s

six-year term Jefe maximo- maximum chief of the revolution

“Revolutionary Family” began to obtain more wealth- ignored agrarian reform, hostile to strikes and unions More corrupt than Porfirista regime

Controlled Mexico until the election of Vicente Fox in 2000

Led to a new generation of young, middle-class reformers (intellectuals)Called for implementation of the

constitution of 1917Liked Marxism and the model of the soviets

Advance the bourgeois

National Congress of Women Workers and Peasants (1930’s)

Expand indigenous rights, protect women workers, raise the minimum wage, increase land reform, promote women’s suffrage

His honesty and compassion made him famous, spent half of his money on education as governor of Michoacan

Part of the Revolutionary Family – able to win the election 1934 through this support and Calles blessing

Land distribution to villages- aimed to raise agricultural productivity and improve quality of life

To end corruption he set an example and cut his pay in half Answers questions from the peasants himself

These ideas angered Calles and he denounced the labor movement Cardenas had Calles deported to the US in 1936

Ejido- communal landholding system Distributed land to villages, 45

million acresRancho- land provided to the

individual in northern Mexican states

Land also set aside for scale cultivation of commercial crops- sugar, coffee, cotton, rice Organized by profit sharing (oversaw

by government)

Land Reform, schools, medical care, roads led to the modernization of Mexican life and society by 1940.Led to the growth of the internal Mexican

market1939-1941- highest production during the

revolutionHowever, the land in the Ejido was usually

poor for farming with limited amount of resources to help production By 1940, government oversee led to a decline in

the ejido system and a growth in large landed property

Workers were aware of the sympathetic view of the new regime642 strikes in 1935- more than twice the

number in the six years before Reforms centered around raising of wages

Reform weakened the power of the generals

Negatives- Labor lost independence to government oversight which eventually lead to corruption and control of trade unions

Cardenas supported labor’s efforts for higher wages along with favoring Mexican industry with government loans and protective tariffs

Nacional Financiera- government bank that funded industrial loans, public welfare projects

WWII helped the economy- fewer imports March 18, 1938- Dispute over oil between the US

and Britain Cardenas expropriated the companies in the

interest of the public Oil Nationalization- provided cheap, plentiful fuel

for Mexican industry 90% of mining industry still rested in foreign hands

Cardenas pledged to grant women equal rightsSaw little in the governmental sector,

more workers rights Women’s suffrage started in 1939 but

wasn’t put into effect until 1953

Material and cultural condition of the masses had improved

Peasants and workers managed to secure a larger share of the total national income

Promotion of education in rural areas By the end of his presidency

Cárdenas had abandoned reform. The conservative general Manuel Ávila Camacho succeeded Cárdenas and all pretence of reform ended

350,000 to a million deaths Country economically devastated Fall of the Hacienda and the Hacendado

Caudillo Rule Redistribution of Land Capitalist Economy and a Functioning

Democracy- Oil Catholic Church lost economic and

political influence Poverty and economic inequality

9:1 The Mexican Revolution Timeline