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.