Mexican Revolution

What are the KEY characteristics of the Porfiriato?

-Modernized by favoring foreign business at the expense of natives.

-Turned communal ejidos into Haciendas

-Unsanitary housing, poor diet, crazy poverty/wealth inequality

-Manipulated elections/censored press

-50 mil hectares of land auctioned off to bankers and foreign investors

What were the key characteristics of Haciendas?

Essentially slavery. Workers were paid in scrips, which could only be used at an estate store owned by the haciendado. Items at the store were expensive, which created debt, which trapped workers.

What were Diaz’s men called?

Los cientificos

Political reasons for revolt

-Diaz always supported foreign miners/laborers

-Rio Blanco Textile Mill incident

-Rurales killed critics of government

-Didn’t allow voting for local elections, he chose them

-Jailed/exiled opposition

-Destroyed native land for Railroads

-Basically caused all issues relating to land, labor, and social inequality.

Social reasons for revolt

-favored elite for their political support

-harsh labor for 12 hr shifts, seven days a week, no pension, no workers compensation, and low pay

-Stole land from those who couldn’t find paperwork —> Haciendas that enslaved those same people

-Loss of land + money —> loss of culture

-Poor wages led to starving families/high infancy mortality rate

-Upper middle class faced harsh competition with foreign workers

Economic reasons for revolt

-Rich/foreign companies have more land and money—> poor farmers struggled

-Foreign workers got gold, native workers got silver. Silver devalued, so they were struggling even more

-Mining dominated by US and EU. Given better jobs, better pay, better conditions, better food, better housing, medical care

-Diaz gave foreign companies tax breaks for lands to build railroads —> destroyed native land + rich benefitted off native land/labor

-Economy fell, so businesses worked people harder and laid people off—> increased unemployment

Cananea Copper Strike

Native miners on strike—>Diaz sent rurales→Many died, government ignored, and nothing changed

Rio Blanco Textile Mill incident

A labor strike in 1907 at a textile mill; workers protested poor conditions and low wages. The company shot at the strikers and Diaz allowed it + nothing changed

Explain Madero’s plan/goals

He wanted Diaz gone and ran a successful campaign against him bc of his promises of democracy and family wealth, but Diaz jailed him. Madero fled to US and wrote Plan de San Luis Potosi, which called for political reform and revolution; wasn’t very popular because people cared more about social change, not politics.

Who was already revolting early on?

Zapata (he was returning land in the South)

Plan de San Luis Potosi

called for revolt + political reform. Unpopular because people cared more about social change rather than political change + people were already revolting

Who did Madero join forces with?

Villa

What led to Diaz’s resignment?

His loss against Madero/Villa’s army at Ciudad Juarez + Zapata’s thing

Why was Madero unpopular?

He didn’t do anything for land/labor, kept many of Diaz’s men still in power, forced revolutionaries to put down weapons and failed to address urgent social issues.

Who called for a revolt against Madero?

Zapata. He refused to put down weapons and wrote the Plan de Ayala (land reform). Eventually began guerilla warfare.

Why did Villa turn against Madero?

He was tasked to defeat Orozco with the help of Huerta → Conflict between the two → Huerta arrested Villa and Madero did nothing, which led Villa to feel betrayed. Villa then sought revenge against Madero and aligned with Zapata.

What was the Decena Tragica?

A coup led by Huerta → Madero overthrown, Huerta now president

What were Huerta’s goals?

Wanted control via militarism, supported Haciendas, supported foreign affairs, rigged elections

Carranza/Plan de Guadalupe

Carranza's plan to dismiss Huerta's government and establish a constitutional framework for Mexico. Not very popular because he had no social or political reform

Why did Huerta flee into exile?

Huerta fled into exile due to pressure from revolutionary forces and loss of support from the United States and the Mexican populace.

Meeting at aguascalientes

Meeting to figure out political state of Mexico after Huerta’s exile. Formed conventionalists and constitutionalists. Nothing resulted of meeting except civil war.

Conventionalists

Villa + Zapata. Wanted strong local governments and social reform

Constitutionalists

Carranza + Obregon. Wanted strong central government and was more conservative

Why was Carranza politically stronger than Villa?

Villa had no clear goals, which limited his support outside of the north + Carranza had clear goals regarding foreign involvement, politics, and labor.

Why did Zapata and Villa break alliance?

Villa promised Zapata weapons, but they ones he got were bad, so Zapata left to fight Carranza in the south.

Why was Villa defeated by Obregon/Carranza?

he didn’t listen to his military mentor, his army was spread thin because he placed many of them to fight in the north.

Who was president after Huerta?

Carranza(constitutionalists), with the help of Obregon.

Why did Carranza lose support?

His opposition to land and labor reform

What was CROM?

A northern workers union that aimed to better working conditions. created because of Carranza’s inability to tackle labor issues.

Why did Carranza leave presidency?

There was conflict between him and Obregon —> Obregon ran against him and wrote the Plan de Agua Prieta leading to Carranza's eventual flight and subsequent assassination. Marked the end of the old revolution.

How did the Constitution of 1917 address land?

Ownership of land belonged to the state, so they could control/redistribute it. Limited foreign control and Mexico now had power over their mineral extractions.

How did the Constitution of 1917 address labor?

It allowed unions and set guidelines around safety, conditions, pay, hours.

How did the Constitution of 1917 address the Church?

Established a secular state, freedom of religion, and limited the Church's influence in government and education.

How did the Constitution of 1917 address education?

It mandated free, compulsory education and aimed to eliminate illiteracy, promoting secular and nationalist content in the curriculum.

What else did the constitution do?

It gave women total equality, freedom of expression/press, right to bear arms, claimed Mexican interests were more important than foreign interests.

What did Obregon do while in office?

-Allied w/ CROM → decreased strikes and gained him support

-Agrarian Regulatory Law: local communities could break up land w/ approval from government. Pleased some rural farmers, but was VERY slow and not that much was distributed

-Utilized petroleum to keep economy afloat

-Wanted US recognition, but hated US. De le Huerta went behind his back and made diplomatic relations with US that supplied them with weapons and loans

-SEP: Built 1000 schools, increased pride, nutrition, hygiene, libraries, and improved literacy

Who was president after Obregon?

Calles

What did Calles do while in office?

Agitated the Cristero rebellion (catholic resistance against lack of recognition→Calles closed religious events→Violence→Assassination attempt→Calles had them executed, which upset the Church

What was the PNR and how did it effect Gil/Rubio’s presidency?

Established to give Calles political power, but it gave him too much influence in their presidencies and led to political instability and conflict within the government.

Who was president after Rubio?

Lazaro Cardenas

Why was Cardenas well-liked?

He was very humble and traveled around the country to see the conditions of the country. wanted to improve transport, land distribution, agriculture, infrastructure and education.

What were Cardenas’s main successes?

-Ended Calles’s control over the government.

-Gnp increased 25%, production increased 50%

-4k more schools + anti-alcohol and vaccine campaigns

-redistributed 45 mil acres of land by breaking up haciendas

-formed PEMEX, which nationalized oil after long labor struggle—>increased economy and public favor

-formed PRM, which supported military, government employees, laborers, and peasants; future party of Mexico

Why was Cardenas partially unsuccessful?

-Set up agricultural bank to provide loans but faced issues with distribution and management.
-tried to nationalize railroads after strikes, but failed because of resistance from private companies and foreign investors.

-Cost of living and inflation increased, while wages decreased

What were soldaderas? What was the impact of the revolution on women?

Women who fought in the Mexican Revolution, often taking on roles as soldiers, nurses, and logistical support. Some even led battles. Paved the way for future women’s rights movements, and established a place in employment while men were away.