Key Figures and Events of the Mexican Revolution

mestizo

A person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry.

constitutionalists

Supporters of a constitutional government in Mexico during the Revolution.

criollo

A person of Spanish descent born in the Americas.

Convention of Aguascalientes

A meeting in 1914 to resolve conflicts among revolutionary factions.

La Reforma

A liberal movement in Mexico during the 19th century aimed at reducing the power of the military and the church.

Battle of Celaya

A significant battle in 1915 during the Mexican Revolution between the forces of Pancho Villa and Alvaro Obregón.

anti-clericalism

Opposition to the influence of the clergy in politics and society.

Punitive Expedition

A military operation led by the United States in 1916 to capture Pancho Villa.

Benito Juarez

A prominent Mexican leader and president known for his reforms and opposition to foreign intervention.

Convention of Querétaro

A 1914 meeting of revolutionary leaders to establish a new constitution.

cientifícos

A group of advisors to Porfirio Díaz who promoted modernization and economic development.

José Vasconcelos

A Mexican philosopher and politician known for his ideas on education and culture.

ejido

A communal landholding system in Mexico for agricultural purposes.

indigenismo

A political and cultural movement that seeks to promote Indigenous rights and culture.

hacienda

A large estate or plantation in colonial and post-colonial Mexico.

Plutarco Calles

A Mexican politician and president who controlled three puppet presidents.

rurales

Rural police forces in Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Cristero Rebellion

A widespread uprising against the Mexican government in the 1920s due to anti-Catholic laws.

Yacquis

An Indigenous group from the northern Mexico region known for their resistance against colonization. Led by Obregon.

Constitution of 1917

The current constitution of Mexico, which established significant social and political reforms.

José Limantour

A Mexican politician and finance minister during the Porfirio Díaz regime.

Porfirio Diaz

A Mexican general and president known for his long dictatorship and modernization efforts.

James Creelman

A journalist known for his interviews with Mexican leaders during the Revolution.

Francisco Madero

A revolutionary leader and president who initiated the Mexican Revolution against Díaz.

Plan of San Luis Potosi

A document by Francisco Madero calling for the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz.

Francisco "Pancho" Villa

A prominent Mexican revolutionary general known for his leadership in the north and revolutionary military strategies.

Emiliano Zapata

The leader of the South in the Mexican Revolution who was known for his agrarian reform movement.

Plan of Ayala

A document by Emiliano Zapata demanding land reform and social justice.

Pascual Orozco

A revolutionary leader who initially supported Madero but later opposed him.

Victoriano Huerta

A ruthless military officer who led a coup against Madero and became president.

Henry Lane Wilson

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico who supported Huerta's regime.

Pact of the Embassy

An agreement between U.S. officials and Huerta to support his government.

Decena Trágica

A ten-day period in February 1913 marked by violence and the overthrow of Madero.

Venustiano Carranza

The chief of the revolution, nicknamed "Old Goat Whiskers."

Plan of Guadalupe

A document by Carranza outlining his opposition to Huerta's government.

Alvaro Obregón

A general and president who played a key role in the Mexican Revolution. He represented the Yacquis people.

Lazaro Cardenas

A president known for his land reforms and nationalization of the oil industry.

Maximato

The period of political control by Plutarco Calles after his presidency.

Porfiriato

The period of Porfirio Díaz's rule characterized by modernization and repression.

CROM

The Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers, a labor organization.

PNR

The National Revolutionary Party, the political party formed after the Revolution.