Mexican Revolution Summary

Overview

The lecture covers the causes, key events, and legacy of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), highlighting its profound impact on Mexican society and politics.

Background: Porfirio Díaz’s Dictatorship

• Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico autocratically from 1876–1911, manipulating elections and suppressing opposition.
• Díaz favored the middle class, wealthy landowners, and foreign investors, concentrating land ownership and power.
• Economic hardship grew among peasants and indigenous people due to land seizures, cash crops, and foreign ownership.

Causes of the Revolution

• Rising resentment in rural areas due to doubled corn prices, droughts, and widening inequality.
• Díaz’s broken promise of democratic reforms led to Francisco Madero founding the Anti-Reelectionist Party and calling for revolution.
• Díaz’s regime collapsed under revolutionary pressure, leading to his exile in 1911.

Early Revolutionary Leaders and Factionalism

• Francisco Madero became president but failed to implement sweeping land reforms, alienating both conservatives and radicals.
• Emiliano Zapata (south) and Pancho Villa (north) led forces demanding radical land redistribution.
• Madero was overthrown and executed by Victoriano Huerta, backed by conservative interests and the U.S.

Civil War and Infighting

• Huerta’s dictatorship (1913–1914) united revolutionaries against him, but victory led to internal conflict.
• Constitutionalists (Carranza, Obregón) championed liberal reforms; Conventionists (Zapata, Villa) demanded social revolution.
• Violent civil war resulted, causing over one million deaths.

U.S. Involvement and Key Events

• U.S. commercial interests influenced Mexican politics and leaders, notably through the Pact of the Embassy.
• Villa retaliated against the U.S. after military defeat, prompting American military pursuit in northern Mexico.

The 1917 Constitution and Aftermath

• Carranza’s government enacted the 1917 Constitution with land reform, worker rights, and limitations on the Catholic Church.
• Most reforms were not fully implemented until Lázaro Cárdenas’s presidency (1934–1940).
• Zapata, Carranza, and Villa were all assassinated during subsequent struggles.

Legacy of the Mexican Revolution

• Ended dictatorship; established a ban on presidential re-election.
• Influenced future Latin American revolutions and introduced significant social reforms.
• Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) dominated politics by invoking revolutionary myths and icons like Villa and Zapata.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Porfirio Díaz — Autocratic president of Mexico who ruled from 1876 to 1911.
• Francisco Madero — Wealthy reformer who sparked the revolution, briefly served as president.
• Emiliano Zapata — Revolutionary leader advocating for land reform in the south.
• Pancho Villa — Northern revolutionary leader known for guerrilla tactics.
• Constitutionalists — Faction led by Carranza and Obregón supporting liberal political reforms.
• 1917 Constitution — Foundational document granting land reform and worker rights, limiting church power.
• PRI — Institutional Revolutionary Party, dominant in post-revolution Mexican politics.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review the 1917 Constitution and its actual implementation during Cárdenas’s presidency.
• Prepare for discussion on the revolution’s influence on future Latin American movements.