The Mexican Revolution
Origins, Timelines, and Impacts

Why Revolution, and Why
1910?
 Complex reasons; the
revolution is not a unified
process
 Gradual mutation of
attitudes between
1900-1910; more and
more individuals
abandoning the hope of
social and political
progress in the
framework of the existing
order
 Agitation from above and
below
 Porfiriato = years of
frustration for those who

The Flores Magon Brothers &
Regeneracion
 Birth of 20th century liberalism;
what is it?
 Regeracion their mouthpiece,
openly critical of the Diaz
policies; brothers Jesus, Ricardo,
and Enrique
 Face retribution from Diaz
 Connections to the US
 First time notion of social reform
should come before political
reform

Labor Violence
 Yaqui Revolt
 Labor strike at Cananea Copper Mine (Sonora)
– June 1906
– Colonel William Greene and defense of American
interests
– Role of Regeneracion and labor agitation
– Violent response by Diaz’ agents
 Labor strike at Rio Blanco textile mill (Veracruz)
 Flores Magon brothers implicated in these
events; but Diaz did not see these as indicative
of larger problems = isolated events

The Creelman Interview
 1908 interview given by Diaz to James
Creelman, reporter for the NY Times
 Message sent:
– Ready to retire; welcomed opposition parties and was
ready to promote democracy
 Why?
– Did the interview as bait to bring out opposition so
that he could easily “deal” with them
– Sincere in his remarks; subsequent events forced him
to change his mind
 Gearing up for the Election of 1910

Emergence of Francisco Madero
 Background
 Advocating a political
revolution as the solution
 Had experience with
plight of the landless
poor; yet believed that
solutions came from
individuals, not society
 Moderate vs. radical
liberals; Flores Magon
brothers felt he ignored
the stark social reality of
Mexico at the time

Campaign and Election of 1910
 Madero vs. Diaz; anti-Diaz rhetoric rising; arrest
of Madero
– Fomenting rebellion
– Insulting public authorities
 Madero jailed, Diaz victorious
 Response = Plan de San Luis Potosi
 Reveals Madero’s concern for democracy and
political reforms before social change
 Serves, however, and the opening shots of the
Revolution

Birth & Fragmentation of the
Revolution
 Continues to emphasize
the long historical
tradition in Mexico of
regionalism and
fragmentation
 Centers of revolt in North,
Central, and Southern
Mexico; goals different
 A revolution or a civil
war? To be answered
later…….
 Significant long term
impact on the
development of Mexico in
the 20th century; the
defining modern event

Revolution in the North
 Pascual Orozco in
Western Chihuahua
 Pancho Villa, also in
Chihuahua
 Support of disaffected
miners, ranchers,
indigenous groups
 Not much opposition from
Porfirian Army
 Advocating labor and land
reforms in the North –
individual access to land;
labor codes that protect
the worker

Revolution in the South
 Represents the ideas of
change in Southern
Mexico = Emiliano Zapata
 Primary focus – inherent
rights/access to land;
responding to the reality
of land concentration
during the Porfirian
period (Plan de Ayala)
 Initially does not support
the Plan de San Luis
Potosi; but eventually
comes around to the
ideas of the Revolution

Exile of Diaz
 Madero’s return to Mexico; capture of Ciudad Juarez
 Becomes focal point for Revolution
– A provincial capital
– Official point of entry between US and Mexico
– Morale boost
 Diaz negotiates treaty with revolutionaries on May 21,
1911; exiled to France
 Madero takes power, but underestimates the discontent
that the majority of Mexicans felt about the social and
economic situations they found themselves under. At
this point, a major fragmentation of revolutionary goals
emerge. Now what?

Victoriano Huerta

Venustiano Carranza and the
Constitutionalist Army

Popular Support of the Revolution

Transitions to stability
 From revolution to anarchy (1915-1917)
– US support of Carranza
– Pancho Villa’s exploits and the Pershing expedition
 Stability at the Queretaro Convention (October,
1916)
– Purpose is to write a new constitution; desire to end
factionalization and come to some compromise
– Led by Carranza
– Some ideas carry over from the 19th century
– For most part, new constitution based on 20th century liberalism
– Articles 3, 27, and 123
 A long term document; seals the Revolution as a
permanent part of Mexican nationalism and
development, and solidifies Carranza’s hold on
power

Carranza Presidency (1917-1920)
 Generally considered a failure
 One shining light = estab. of
a national labor organization
= CROM  Confederacion
Regional Obrera Mexicana,
headed by Luis Morones
 Overthrow of Carranza
– Protests from the state of
Sonora (Adolfo de la Huerta,
Plutarco Calles, Alvaro Obregon
 The Sonoran Triangle
– Plan de Agua Prieta

The Obregon Presidency
(1920-1924)
 Signficance? Mexico’s social
revolution, and the
implementation of the
Revolution, starts here
 Agrarian Reform
 Labor Reform
 Education
– “To educate is to redeem”
– Jose Vasconcelos
 Introduction of the ideas of
indigenismo
 Never recognized by the US
government

Plutarco Calles and the Maximato
 New groups to consider via the Revolution
– Organized labor (esp. in the North; major
industrialized areas; tied to Article 123)
– Peasants (esp. in the South and Central; tied to
Article 27)
– Business interests = difficult at time to control
 The power and “presidencies” of Calles 
known as the Maximato
– 1924-1928 = Calles
– 1928-1932 = Emilio Portes Gil
– 1932-1934 = Abelardo Rodriguez
– Calles not president; but might of well had been
 Key to this period is a distinct shift to the right in
terms of political ideology

Themes of the Maximato
 Payoff for Social & Economic
Reform  redistribution of
land & more favorable
conditions for workers
 Labor & the growth of CROM
 Education
 US/Mexican relations 
cautious warming
 Formation of the PRD  Ptd.
Nacional Revolucionario;
attempts to bring stability to
politics
 War on Mexican Communists

Problems with the Maximato?
 Shift to the right ideologically; away from
some of the principles of the Revolution
 Responses?
– To the left, towards socialism
 “The Socialists ABC’s”
– To the right, The Cristero Revolt
– Existence of regional caciques counter Calles
goals
 Global obstacles to the social revolution =
The Great Depression

Muralist Movement - Diego Rivera
 Emerges out of the
Revolution; an artistic
and political expression of
a new Mexico and
Mexican identity
 Embraces the Indian as a
positive force in the
formation of Mexican
identity
 New emphasis on the
indigenous side of the
identity equation =
indigenismo; through
policies, art, culture,
history

Cardenas & Mexican Populism
(1934-1940)

Background
 Born in 1895; Michoacan; educated through the
6th grade
 Experiences during the Revolution led him into
politics
– Acting governor of Michoacan under Obregon
– Governor under Calles (1928-1932); road tests many
policies he would bring to the national level
 Hand picked by Calles as candidate for president
in 1934
 Demonstrated his populist tendencies during the
campaign; evoked principles of the Revolution

Cardenas and the Social Revolution
 Open lines of communication with the
public
 Modest in his own public displays
 Breaks from the Calles machine
 Becomes president during a time of
transition in the Revolutionary generations
 Is the most successful of the post-
Revolutionary presidents in
institutionalizing the Revolution

Agrarian Reform
 The first focus of his
presidency
– “A Convention at Zacapu”
 Agrarian Reform (Article
27)
– Returns close to 50 million
acres
– Agrarian reform – not just
land reform
– Reinforcing the ejido
– “The Agrarian Reform at La
Laguna”

Labor Reform
 Labor Reform (Article 123)
– Developing sophistication of labor
unions
– CROM  CTM
– Dealt with bread & butter issues,
especially the wage structure
 Nationalization of Railways &
Oil
– “The Oil Expropriation” as an
example of nation building;
significant support from other LA
nations
– Calls for intervention in the US
– Question of value of
compensation ($200M vs. $24M)
– Creation of PEMEX

Political Reform
 Redefining Politics
 PRN  PRM (Partido Revolucionario Mexicano; 1937)
 Question of how to create political unity; examined in
“Cardenas & The Masses”
 Type of integration of different groups into national
politics; defines Cardenas populist style, but is it really
about true political integration or political control
– “Cardenas took care to guide the workers’ struggle toward
purely economic rewards, and when they were integrated into
the political process they remained subordinate to, and
controlled by, the State, through the official party” (Arturo
Anguiano)
 Formation of the CNC  Confederacion Nacional de
Campesinos
 Formation of the CTM  Confederacion Trabajadores
Mexicanos; led by Vicente Lombardo