mexican revolution "facts only" test

Mestizo

Person of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry in Latin America.

Criollo

Person of Spanish descent born in the Americas, often part of the elite.

La Reforma

Mid-19th century liberal reform movement in Mexico, led by Benito Juárez, aimed at reducing church and military power.

Constitutionalists

Faction in the Mexican Revolution that supported the 1917 Constitution and opposed dictatorships.

Anti-clericalism

Opposition to the influence of the Catholic Church in government and society, a major issue in Mexican politics.

Benito Juárez

Indigenous Mexican president who led La Reforma and resisted French occupation.

Convention of Aguascalientes

1914 meeting to unify revolutionary factions; failed due to conflicts between Villa, Zapata, and Carranza.

Battle of Celaya

1915 battle where Álvaro Obregón defeated Pancho Villa, weakening Villa’s influence.

Punitive Expedition

U.S. military operation (1916-1917) led by General Pershing to capture Pancho Villa after he attacked Columbus, New Mexico.

Convention of Querétaro

Meeting where the Mexican Constitution of 1917 was drafted and approved.

José Vasconcelos

Mexican intellectual, educator, and politician who promoted national identity and public education.

Científicos

Technocratic advisors to Porfirio Díaz who promoted economic modernization but favored foreign investment and elites.

Ejido

Communally owned land used for agriculture, promoted under land reforms.

Hacienda

Large estates owned by elites, often worked by peons under harsh conditions.

Rurales

Rural police force under Porfirio Díaz, used to suppress dissent.

Yaquis

Indigenous group in northern Mexico that resisted government control and faced harsh repression.

José Limantour

Finance minister under Díaz, key member of the Científicos, promoted economic stability.

Indigenismo

Cultural and political movement promoting Indigenous heritage and rights.

Plutarco Calles

Mexican president (1924-1928), enforced anti-clerical policies, started the Maximato period.

Cristero Rebellion

1926-1929 armed uprising by Catholic groups against anti-clerical government policies.

Constitution of 1917

Mexican constitution with progressive reforms like land redistribution, labor rights, and limits on the church.

Lázaro Cárdenas

President (1934-1940) who nationalized oil and implemented major land reforms.

Porfirio Díaz

Dictator (1876-1911) whose policies of modernization and repression led to the Mexican Revolution.

Maximato

Period (1928-1934) when Calles controlled the government through puppet presidents.

James Creelman

American journalist whose 1908 interview with Díaz revealed the dictator’s openness to democracy, inspiring opposition.

Francisco Madero

Revolutionary leader who overthrew Díaz but was later assassinated.

Plan of San Luis Potosí

Madero’s 1910 call for revolution against Díaz.

Porfiriato

Period of Díaz’s rule, marked by modernization, economic growth, and authoritarianism.

CROM

Major labor union aligned with the government in the 1920s.

PNR

National Revolutionary Party, founded in 1929 as the forerunner of today’s PRI.

Francisco "Pancho" Villa

Revolutionary general who led forces in northern Mexico, known for his Robin Hood image.

Emiliano Zapata

Revolutionary leader in southern Mexico who fought for land reform and Indigenous rights.

Plan of Ayala

Zapata’s 1911 declaration calling for land redistribution and Madero’s removal.

Pascual Orozco

Revolutionary leader who initially supported Madero but later turned against him.

Victoriano Huerta

Military leader who betrayed and overthrew Madero, ruling as a dictator (1913-1914).

Henry Lane Wilson

U.S. ambassador who helped orchestrate Madero’s overthrow in the Pact of the Embassy.

Pact of the Embassy

Secret agreement between Huerta, Wilson, and opposition forces to overthrow Madero.

Decena Trágica

10 days of fighting in 1913 that led to Madero’s downfall and Huerta’s rise.

Venustiano Carranza

Revolutionary leader and later president who oversaw the drafting of the 1917 Constitution.

Plan of Guadalupe

Carranza’s 1913 plan to remove Huerta from power.

Álvaro Obregón

Revolutionary general and later president (1920-1924) who stabilized Mexico after the revolution.