Posted on 03/29/2006 6:17:18 PM PST by Ptarmigan
Mexico for most of its history was ruled by a small number of wealthy elites. They controlled most of Mexico's economy and politics, which is typical of most of Latin America. Many Mexicans lived in poverty. The rift between rich and poor grows wider. Then in 1910, General Porfirio Diaz becomes president of Mexico. Opposition towards Diaz grows. Then Francisco Madero, an American and European educated man, leads the opposition and pressures for an election. Diaz has Madero imprisoned as a result, which he is later released and goes to America. He does not see Diaz as legitimate and makes himself President Pro-Temp. His goals were to give land back to peasants and universal voting rights. As a result, comes up with the San Luis Plan. Then on November 20, 1910, he calls for revolution. It starts the Mexican Revolution. The Mexican Revolution got many young people involved, like Francisco "Poncho" Villa and Emilano Zapata, who were able to fight the old regime military. Diaz could not stop the revolts in Mexico and resigns in May of 1911 and flees to France, where he dies four years later. Madero is than elected as president, but opposition occurs from his allies, includng Zapata. Madero wanted orderly return of land to peasants, which Zapata denounced and decides to take matters in his own hand by taking over the state of Morelos and raids and seizes land from landowners and gives them to peasants. Madero is than overthrown in 1913 and gets killed. General Huerta seizes power and becomes president. Opposition grows against Huerta and the likes of Villa, Zapata, and Obregon lead to more fighting. This eventually leads to the downfall of Huerta's regime. He is seen as someone who will bring the old regime back. Mexico is broken into factions of guerillas. Fighting breaks out all over Mexico. It causes millions of Mexicans to flee towards the border with America. 1 to 3 million Mexicans died in the revolution, one of the bloodiest periods in the Western Hemisphere, if not the bloodiest in the 20th century. The Mexican Revolution's death toll exceeds that of Guatemalan Civil War and Argentina Dirty War. The Mexican Revolution affected every Mexican. It also brought about the Partido Nacional Revolucionario or PNR, Partido de la Revolución Mexicana or PRM and eventually Partido Revolucionario Institucional or PRI, which would rule Mexico for most of the 20th century, until Vicente Fox of the PAN was elected into office in 2000. The party that became the PRI was formed by Plutarco Elias Calles, who was strongly anti-clerical.
Mexico Online-The Mexican Revolution
Mex Connect-The Mexican Revolution
Pancho Villa
Plan of Ayala
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
I better copy all this. Next eyar my kids will have to learn it instead of studying the American Revolution.
Thanks for posting this.
Your welcome. Mexico has a very turbulent history, like most of Latin America. One interesting fact, many Koreans live in Mexico, mostly in the northern part. Many came as slaves in the late 19th to early 20th century to build the railroads. Many of them stayed in Korea and assimilated. Some went to other parts of Latin America, particularly Central America and Argentina.
Do you realise I was being sarcastic?
I could give a crap about their history. They could care less about ours. Mexico is a nothing compared to America. Name one nation they helped free, one poor person they helped with their petro dollars. When we neeeded their vote at the UN going in to Iraq they voted with the French. The hell with Mexico and their stupid history.
Next time use a sarcastic tag. America has helped other nations. It is just an eyeopener of Mexico's sorry state it is today. They need some military dictatorship there, like Chile had.
with all these unjust policies endured by the people of Mexico can we expect any day now the protests we have here to spill over with 100s of thousands marching on Mexico city demanding a better life?
realistically; if they escaped the conditions to come here for a better life then what gives, why no protests in Mexico this week where things are even more unjust ?
White elites rule Mexico over the overwhelming indigenous population. It's no different than South African Apartheid.
I've lived under a dictatorship. nothing sexy about the secret police coming to torture you in the middle of the night. That you would think it as an option is disgusting.
Lets end this conversation.
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