2. âPorfiriatoâ
Porfirio DĂaz was one of the generals of
the Liberal army who was President of
Mexico from 1877 until 1911, a period
known as the Porfiriato because the figure
of Porfirio DĂaz dominated it.
During this period, the economy grew;
new railways and telephone networks
were built; new banks opened; industry,
mining, agriculture and commerce
expanded. Major concessions led to
foreign control over large sectors of the
economy
3. David Siquieros Mural: "Don Porfirio [Diaz] and his Courtesans". 1957-65
Although President DĂaz brought many benefits to Mexico, he
was a dictator - a President who abused his power. Under DĂaz,
a few land owners became very wealthy, but the majority of
Mexicans remained poor.
4. The Rebellion Begins
During the first
years of the 20th
century, a new
generation of
educated, young
Mexicans that did
not belong to DĂaz'
group desired
change. For the first
time in thirty-three
years other political
parties were formed.
6. General Victoriano Huerta
General Huerta established a
military dictatorship in Mexico!
For almost 11 years, civil war
raged across Mexico as various
rebel groups fought for power.
The most important insurgent
leaders of the Constitutionalist
Movement were Venustiano
Carranza, Francisco Villa, and
Emiliano Zapata.
7. Emiliano Zapata
wanted massive
land reforms that
were expressed in
his motto âTierra y
Libertadâ (Land
and Liberty).
Emiliano Zapata
wanted massive
land reforms that
were expressed in
his motto âTierra y
Libertadâ (Land
and Liberty).
Emiliano Zapata
8. Pancho Villa
Villa lead and fought in a
decades worth of battles for
the cause with his army
known as "The Dorados"
(The Golden Boys). The name
was ironic considering that
they were mostly makeshift
Revolutionaries who were
recruited from village to
village where Villa and his
men would pillage to have
water, food and women.
During the course of the
Revolution in Mexico, Villa
seemed to be blessed never
sustaining life threatening
injuries.
Pancho Villa led
peasant rebels in the
north and attacked
the Federal Army.
9. The revolutionaries, including Francisco Villa in the north,
and Emiliano Zapata in the south, began a struggle to
overthrow President Huerta.
11. Soldaderas March
Las Soldaderas were women
"fighters" who made significant
contributions to both the federal and
rebel armies of the Mexican
Revolution. Though few actually
engaged in combat, their assistance to
male soldiers in fighting the war were
monumental.
12. The Mexican Revolution mobilized large segments of the
population, both men and women. The Villista forces included
railroad workers, cowboys, and townsfolk who took up arms
against the army.
13. A Step Toward Democracy?
On April 10, 1919, Zapata was tricked into a
meeting with one of Carranza's generals who
wanted to "switch sides." The meeting was a trap,
and Zapata was killed as he arrived at the meeting.
In 1920, he tried to install a President that was favorable to him. Alvaro Obregon, who
was a candidate for president, rebelled.
Steady insurgent military pressure forced Huerta
to resign in July, 1914. When this happened,
Venustiano Carranza then assumed power.
Under Carranza's presidency a new
Constitution was adopted in 1917. The new
Constitution took into account individual and
social rights, particularly to protect the
workers and the peasants, and was very
nationalistic.
14. Alvaro Obregon
ObregĂłn defeated Pancho Villaâs cavalry in a
series of bloody battles in 1915 and became
president in 1920..
Since 1920, with the Civil War over, a new âRevolutionary Eliteâ ruled Mexico.
However, the Revolution had devastated the nation. 1.5 million were killed,
major industries destroyed, ranching and farming were disrupted.
Since 1920, with the Civil War over, a new âRevolutionary Eliteâ ruled Mexico.
However, the Revolution had devastated the nation. 1.5 million were killed,
major industries destroyed, ranching and farming were disrupted.
15. Pancho Villa
1. In Jan., 1916, a group of Americans
were shot by bandits in Chihuahua, and
on Mar. 9, 1916, some of Villa's men
raided the U.S. town of Columbus,
N.Mex., killing some American
citizens. It is not certain that Villa
participated in these assaults, but he was
universally held responsible.
2. Wilson ordered a punitive expedition
under General Pershing to capture Villa
dead or alive. The expedition pursued
Villa through Chihuahua for 11 months
but failed in its objective. Carranza
violently resented this invasion and it
embittered relations between Mexico and
the United States.
17. Revolutionary Results
Some Real Changes:
âą1917 Mexican Constitution
âąLand reforms, limited foreign ownership of
key resources
âąGuaranteed rights of workers
âąrestrictions on clerical education and church
ownership of property
âąeducational reforms
âąWorkers organized and were represented in
government
18. General Lazaro Cardenas
A most significant political development
in Mexico since the Revolution came
with the election of General LĂĄzaro
Cardenas as president in 1934. His
government carried out considerable
land reform, he reorganized labor, and,
most significant of all, he nationalized
the oil industry.
After Cardenas, the pace
of reforms slowed.
Although Mexico is a
democracy, one party
has dominated the
country since 1929 until
very recently. Petroleos MexicanosPetroleos Mexicanos
19. Party of the Institutionalized
Revolution (PRI)
âą Revolutionary leaders wanted to institutionalize the new regime.
âą Created a One-Party System known as the PRI.
âą Incorporated labor, peasant, military, and middle class sectors.
âą They controlled politics sometimes through the use of repressive
means.
âą Limited the President to a one six-year term.
Partido Revolucionario Institucional
21. Diego Rivera
Nationalism and
Indigenism take
hold in Mexico.
Attempts were
made to
âIndianizeâ Mexico.
Stressed
nationalism,
glorified the past,
and denounced
Western capitalism.
31. Man at the Crossroads 1934. Painted by Diego Rivera. Fresco. This
painting had been contracted to be made in the RCA building
(Rockfeller Center) in New York City in 1932. Before being able to
complete the fresco, Rockfeller, seeing the revolutionary connotations
within, demanded Rivera take Lenin out of the painting. Rivera refused
to censor his work, and the entire Fresco was destroyed. Rivera would
later reproduce a smaller version of this Fresco in Mexico City.Film Clip start
at 4:31
Film Clip start
at 4:31
33. Economy
âą For many years, Mexico followed a policy of economic
nationalism. The government imposed high tariffs to protect
local industries. By 1974, Mexico borrowed heavily from
foreign nations to develop its oil industries.
âą By the 1980s, Mexico was in a debt crisis.
âą More recently, Mexico moved toward free trade, or trade that
had low tariffs and no restrictions.
34. NAFTA
âą NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement)
âą Members were the countries of _________, __________, and
________________.
âą NAFTA would abolish most tariffs on goods traded among
the three member nations.
âą Goal - Expand economy by building closer ties with U.S. and
Canada.
Mexico Canada
the United States
Film Clip
35. CHALLENGES
Many Mexicans hoped that free trade would attract foreign
investment and create new jobs. Based on this cartoon, what is the
concern of some in the United States?
37. Zapatistas
Calling themselves Zapatistas in honor of
Emiliano Zapata, some nearly 2000 masked
rebels attacked and captured four towns in
Chiapas in 1994. They demanded work, land,
housing, food, health care, and education.
Film Clip
Choosing Zapata as a
symbol of the movement,
the Zapatistas tried to
show that the basic
problems of a fair society
remained unsolved and
that the revolution was
incomplete.
38. POLITICAL CHANGE
1. Based on this cartoon, what role has the PRI played in Mexican
politics?
2. Explain how the cartoon anticipates a change in Mexican politics.
39. 1. To what is the cartoonist comparing the PRI? Why?
2. Based on this image, what (or who) is going to bring about
change?
40. Vicente Fox
Member of the National Action Party (PAN) was elected
president at the end of 2000, thus ending the PRIâs dominance of
the political system of more than half a century.
A charismatic reformer, President Fox is
credited as playing a vital role in
Mexicoâs democratization, and with
strengthening the countryâs economy.
During his tenure, he succeeded in
controlling inflation and interest rates,
and in achieving the lowest
unemployment rate in all of Latin
America.
41. Felipe Calderon
Mr. Calderon's decision to pursue the drug
cartels and traffickers seems to be the
defining element of his presidency.
More than 30,000 people have died in drug-
related violence since 2006: A sign for some
the gangs are being squeezed, while others
see the rising murder rate in parts of Mexico
as an indication of the traffickers' power.
The issue of illegal migration, and the treatment of
Mexicans on the border, is a source of abiding
tension between the US and Mexico.
President Calderon has argued for immigration
reform in the US, where there are an estimated 12
million illegal immigrants.
Mr. Calderon's term in office also coincided with
the global economic downturn. Given its close
trading relationship with its northern neighbor,
Mexico is exposed to US weaknesses.Film Clip
42. Enrique Peña Nieto
57th
President of Mexico
His election marked the return of
the PRI after a twelve-year hiatus.
His election marked the return of
the PRI after a twelve-year hiatus.
Marches against Peña Nieto drew tens of
thousands of people across Mexico, who
protested that during its time in power, the PRI
became a symbol of corruption, repression,
economic mismanagement and electoral fraud.
Peña Nieto promised that his government would
be much more democratic, modern and open to
criticism.
He also pledged to continue the fight against
organized crime and drug trade and that there
would be no pacts with criminals.[
Marches against Peña Nieto drew tens of
thousands of people across Mexico, who
protested that during its time in power, the PRI
became a symbol of corruption, repression,
economic mismanagement and electoral fraud.
Peña Nieto promised that his government would
be much more democratic, modern and open to
criticism.
He also pledged to continue the fight against
organized crime and drug trade and that there
would be no pacts with criminals.[
