Better Late than Never....First Mexican Notes

Mexico
-strongly influenced by their past
-Spain dominated Mexico for 300 years
-Spanish impose spanish political, economic, religous, cultural systems on their Indian institutions.

-They incorporate a cast systems:

1. Spanish Born
2. Spanish but born in Mexico Creoles
3. Mixed offspring of Creoles and Indians (Mestizos)
4. Mexicans/Indians

-Colonial economy was based around Indian labor.
-Most important instrument of control was the Roman Catholic Church

-Independence Movement in 1810. Father Hidalgo led peasant Indians against the Spanish.

Independents free Mexico from political control. The cast system only modified slightly. Highest Spaniards led, but creoles just move up a knotch. Handicapped by priveledged Roman Catholic Clergy and also by the system of large estates hat caontinued to grow at expense of Indians. Colonia character contained, with an emphasis on export of minerals. Political instability halts the ability to fix these problems. Caudillo (strong men)- Santa Anna dominated, defeated Americans at Alamo, last Texas and New Mexico to the U.S., and was forced into exile in 1885. Following which was the second Revolution in 1855-1856. Reform Movement led by Benito Juarez (sp?), whose goals was to establish a federal system, eliminate priveledges of clergy and military, channel wealth of Church into capitalist economy, and create class of small landholders to balance out large holders. Effort reached a climax with the Consitution of 1857. Juarez has alot of foreign debt. Europeans intervention alters the situation politically. Juarez goes into exile. Church hiearchy came to be regarded as an anti-mexican institution. Nationalism was strengthened and some Juarez reforms were written into the Constitution. Mestizos were coming into more power, federal system established, but the problem of land distribution was not solved. 1872 Juarez dies, setting off periods of violence that culminate in a military coup in 1876. From 1876-1911 Mexico is ruled by a dictator Porifirio Diaz, who emphasized the econoymy, managed to achieve order, manages progress and wins supports or bureaucracy. With help of foreigners he builds railroads, telephone lines, banks. Provoked the Revolution of 1910 because prosperity for only few who dominated the economic system and it didn't trickle to masses. The Rural landholders gathered 5 million peasants and forced them into servitude on large land estates called Hacendas (sp?). The third revolution Movement in 1910 had an agragarian character. Peasants wanted land, water, and schools. Led by Emiliano Zapata , Pancho Villa who rallied around Francisco Madero. 1910 Diaz defeated Madero in a rigged election after he was arrested on trumped up charges. Madero released and took to countryside. Was strong enough to wage a few battles, then forced in 1911 agreement for Diaz to step down. The Revolution expands and strving to work for original revolution by weakening the church, capitalists, military, large landholders. 1911 Madero was elected president. Madero was ousted in a coup, arrested, then killed. Mexico then turns into a warlord system. Pancho Villa and other guys such as Venustiano Carranza of 11 form massive armies of unfortunates. Ends in 1916when Carranza and followers write reforms into the Constitution of 1917 which established principle of state control over all natural resources, established Roman church as subordinate to state, asserts the gov. right to redistribute land, and declares it law of land. Does very little to enforce it. Soon quarrels with organized labor.