Turmoil and Change in Mexico

Ch 12 Section 4

Santa Anna• Fought in the Mexican revolt against Spain.• Served as president on four separate occasions between

1833-1855.• Was a powerful caudillo- military dictator.• Was considered a brilliant politician who knew how to

control his people.• He would later lead the fight against the U.S. to keep the Texas territory.

The Texas Revolt

• Many U.S. citizens moved to Texas in the 1820’s with the encouragement of Mexico.

• Slavery was practices by many immigrants but was banned in Mexico.

• Texas colonists revolted in 1835 led by Stephen Austin.Santa Anna won several Battles but was defeated at The Battle of San Jacinto Where he was captured.

The Mexican-American War• Santa Anna was released in exchange for a pledge to free

Texas.• When the U.S. annexed Texas in 1845, Santa Anna declared

war against the U.S. • The war took two years and the U.S. won and captured nearly

1/3 of the total size of Mexico. Treaty of Hidalgo- ended the war

The fate of Santa Anna

• After losing to the U.S. he went into exile but returned again in 1853.

• Finally he went into exile in 1855 for twenty years before returning a poor, blind and broken man.

Benito Juarez, “the reformer”• He ruled from 1861-1872 and passed La Reforma.• This plan would redistribute land to the poor and

increase education in Mexico.• He also built railroads, a telegraph system and

expanded trade opportunities for Mexico.

France invades Mexico• Napoleon III plotted with conservatives to take Mexico

and establish a French colony in the America’s.• In 1862, French forces invaded Mexico and captured it

within 18 months.• Napoleon put Austrian Archduke Maximilian in power,

Juarez escaped. • After five years of French rule, Napoleon seeing the great

expense of ruling Mexico, withdrew. Juarez was reelected. serving for five years until dying of a heart attack

Porfiro Diaz

• Ruled from 1876-1911 as a caudillo• Democracy was seldom seen in Mexico with Diaz.-He promised Mexico “Liberty, order and progress”.-Mexico developed its railroads, banks and currency.-Rich got rich and poor stayed poor.-Political instability would soon arrive.

Mexican Revolution

• Francisco Madero- An advocate for democracy who called for political reform.

• Diaz had Madero arrested after he declared his candidacy for president, he was exiled and then called for a rebellion.

• In 1913, he returned to Mexico after Diaz was defeated in the revolution.-He served two years before resigning after being considered too liberal. -He was later assassinated

Pancho Villa• A hero to the Mexican population for his role as a

Mexican Robin Hood.• He raised an army and help take Diaz out of power in

1911• Later he led a raid against the U.S. killing 17

Americans in claiming he was trying to retake Mexico’s lost land. (New Mexico and Texas)

Pancho Villa

• Was pursued heavily by the U.S. but was never caught as he was hidden by Mexican locals.

Sound familiar???-He and Emilano Zapata helped overthrow

Mexico’s new president Victoriano Huerta replacing him with Venustianzo Carranza.

-Carranza turned against both Villa and Zapata killing Zapata and sending Villa into hiding.

Venustiano Carranza

• Revised a new Mexican constitution in 1917.• The new constitution specified land reforms, state

take over of catholic properties, new labor laws and legal rights for women along with equal pay.

• Carranza did not support the final version of the constitution and was overthrown in 1920 by one of his own generals Alvaro Obregon.

• Obregon ruled until 1928 when he was assassinated.

The PRI

• The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)- was formed in 1929.

• This party did not tolerate opposition.• The lack of opposition led to a lengthy period

of peace and political stability.

Mexico

• Still in need of economic stability today• Political stability is again in question today