Notes: Mexican Revolution and DBQ Prep

Diaz favored wealthy individuals and American corporations, prioritizing their interests over those of the general population.
His policies resulted in an increasing wealth gap, where the affluent became wealthier due to favorable conditions for business and foreign investment, while the impoverished segments of society continued to suffer financially.
This economic disparity led to widespread dissatisfaction and unrest among the lower classes, who felt increasingly marginalized and neglected by the government.

Jovia
Emilio Zapata: A prominent figure in the revolutionary movement, he advocated passionately for land redistribution specifically targeting Mexicans of native descent, such as the Aztecs and Mayans.
- Zapata sought to reclaim land that had been historically theirs but was now owned by individuals considered not "actually Mexican."
- His followers, who became known as Zapatistas, were motivated by a strong sense of nationalism and a desire for social justice.

Pancho Villa embodied anti-American sentiment prevalent during the revolution.
He believed that U.S. corporations exerted undue control over Mexican resources, effectively draining the nation's wealth and sending it across the border.
Villa aimed to confront this influence, advocating for Mexican sovereignty and the protection of its citizens from foreign exploitation.
He led significant armed conflicts against U.S. soldiers at the border, marking a dramatic chapter in Mexico-U.S. relations and highlighting the tensions between national interests and foreign intervention.

The Mexican Revolution resulted in significant government transformation and restructuring.
One of its major outcomes was the nationalization of resources, aimed at redistributing wealth and benefits more equitably among the Mexican populace, thereby striving to eradicate some of the systemic inequalities that had festered under Diaz's regime.

A comprehensive analysis emphasizes the intersection of economic considerations with social, cultural, and environmental factors leading to the revolution.
The prompt necessitates the construction of subclaims, each backed by robust evidence drawn from various documents to support the argument.
A suggested thesis structure includes: "Economics played a pivotal role in the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution because [subclaim A], [subclaim B], and [subclaim C]."
Subclaims should derive from thoughtful groupings of the documentary evidence used.

Document 1: Workers plan strikes, driven by low wages and poor working conditions, highlighting the terrible desirability of jobs in Mexico at that time.
Document 2: A street protest manifests the public's discontent, likely linking to Diaz's economic policies which favored affluent elites and American businesses over local needs.
Document 3: A document presents a celebratory view of the US-Mexico business relationship, hinting that Mexico’s economy is dependent on American investment and influence.
Document 4: This document sheds light on the condition of slavery and highlights severe discrimination, suggesting that numerous workers faced poor wages and, in some cases, were not compensated at all.
Document 5: Evidence of significant US investment in Mexican infrastructure suggests that the U.S. was deriving considerable profits from its dealings with Mexico, emphasizing an imbalanced economic relationship.
Document 6: Discusses property rights violations, capturing the essence of the uprising driven by demands for land to be returned to disenfranchised peasants.
Document 7: A celebration of Zapata’s life and legacy, focusing on his commitment to land reform for locals while disregarding material wealth, underscoring the ideological motivations behind his revolutionary actions.

Interdependence and dependence of the U.S. and Mexico (Docs 3 & 5).
The exploitation of workers leading to strikes and social unrest (Docs 1, 2 & 4).