The Mexican Revolution, spanning from 1910 to 1920, was a pivotal moment in Latin American history. It overthrew dictator Porfirio Díaz and ushered in sweeping social and political changes that shaped modern Mexico.

The revolution's legacy includes agrarian reform, workers' rights, and a new constitution. It also led to the rise of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which dominated Mexican politics for most of the 20th century.

The Revolutionary Leaders

Porfirio Díaz's Dictatorship and Downfall

• Porfirio Díaz served as President of Mexico for over 30 years (1876-1911) establishing a long period of authoritarian rule
• Díaz's regime, known as the Porfiriato, was characterized by political stability, economic growth, and modernization projects (railroads, telegraph lines) funded by foreign investment
• However, Díaz's rule also led to widespread social and economic inequalities, with the majority of the population living in poverty while a small elite prospered
• Opposition to Díaz's regime grew, culminating in the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910 led by Francisco Madero

Francisco Madero's Role in Sparking the Revolution

• Francisco Madero, a wealthy landowner and liberal reformer, challenged Díaz in the 1910 presidential election
• After Díaz had Madero imprisoned and declared himself the winner, Madero fled to the United States and issued the Plan of San Luis Potosí calling for an armed uprising against Díaz
• Madero's call for revolution sparked a widespread rebellion, forcing Díaz to resign and flee the country in 1911
• Madero was elected president in 1911 but faced opposition from more radical revolutionary leaders like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata who sought more extensive social and agrarian reforms

Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata's Revolutionary Campaigns

• Pancho Villa, a former bandit turned revolutionary leader, led a powerful army in northern Mexico during the revolution
• Villa's forces, known as the Division of the North, fought against the federal government and rival revolutionary factions, winning significant victories like the Battle of Zacatecas in 1914
• Emiliano Zapata, a peasant leader from the state of Morelos, led a revolutionary movement in southern Mexico fighting for "Land and Liberty" and the rights of indigenous communities
• Zapata's forces, known as the Liberation Army of the South, occupied Mexico City in 1914 in alliance with Villa's troops
• Both Villa and Zapata opposed the more moderate policies of Madero and his successors, continuing their revolutionary campaigns until their respective assassinations in 1920 (Zapata) and 1923 (Villa)

Revolutionary Ideals and Reforms

The Plan of Ayala and Agrarian Reform

• The Plan of Ayala, issued by Emiliano Zapata in 1911, called for the redistribution of land to peasant communities and became a key document of the revolutionary struggle
• The plan denounced Madero's failure to implement agrarian reform and declared the Zapatista movement's commitment to fighting for "Land and Liberty"
• Agrarian reform, a central demand of the revolution, sought to break up large estates (haciendas) and redistribute land to landless peasants
• The revolutionary Constitution of 1917 included provisions for agrarian reform, such as Article 27 which declared all land, water, and mineral rights the property of the nation and subject to expropriation and redistribution

The Constitution of 1917 and Social Reforms

• The Constitution of 1917, drafted by a constitutional convention during the presidency of Venustiano Carranza, incorporated many of the revolutionary ideals and became the basis for Mexico's modern political system
• The constitution included progressive social reforms such as the right to free secular education (Article 3), labor rights and protections (Article 123), and restrictions on the power of the Catholic Church
• Article 27 of the constitution, in addition to its agrarian provisions, asserted national control over Mexico's natural resources, limiting foreign ownership and investment
• The constitution also established a strong federal government with a powerful executive branch, a system that would later be dominated by a single party (the PRI) for much of the 20th century

Indigenismo and Cultural Nationalism

• Indigenismo, a cultural and political movement that emerged during and after the revolution, sought to revalue and incorporate indigenous cultures into Mexico's national identity
• The movement, led by intellectuals and artists like Manuel Gamio and Diego Rivera, promoted the study and appreciation of indigenous languages, art, and traditions
• Indigenismo influenced government policies like the creation of the Department of Indigenous Affairs (1936) and bilingual education programs for indigenous communities
• The revolutionary government also promoted cultural nationalism through public art (murals), education, and the commemoration of historical figures like Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor, as symbols of Mexico's indigenous heritage and resistance to foreign domination

Post-Revolutionary Politics

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and One-Party Rule

• The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), founded in 1929 as the National Revolutionary Party (PNR), emerged as the dominant political force in post-revolutionary Mexico
• The PRI, which incorporated various revolutionary factions and interest groups (labor unions, peasant organizations), claimed to be the heir and embodiment of the revolutionary ideals
• Under the PRI's one-party rule, which lasted until 2000, Mexico experienced a period of political stability and economic growth known as the "Mexican Miracle" (1940s-1970s)
• However, the PRI's rule was also characterized by authoritarianism, corruption, and the co-optation or repression of opposition movements
• The PRI's dominance was maintained through a combination of patronage, corporatism (the incorporation of social sectors into the party), and electoral fraud
• The PRI's hegemony began to unravel in the late 20th century due to economic crises, internal divisions, and the emergence of opposition parties like the conservative National Action Party (PAN) and the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD)
• In 2000, the PRI was defeated in the presidential election by the PAN's candidate Vicente Fox, marking the end of the party's 71-year rule and a major transition in Mexican politics