Mexico and U.S. Flashcards
1820s - 1850s
US: Cotton farming expanding to Texas in 1820s
MX: economy in shambles (wars for independence - large debts; expelled all Spaniards
1823: US farmers won permission settle in Texas (with slaves)
Understanding: those admitted would become responsible citizens of MX and obey her laws
Friction developed: new settlers maintained strong attachment to their native US (oppposed MX laws)
—obligatory conversion to Catholicism and the Spanish-language only” law
Andrew JAckson: applied heavy pressure on MX to sell TX
MX clamped down - forbade importation of slaves
Political Precursors
US: relative to MX, high political stability (since independence, orderly peaceful transition of power every four years)
MX: government changed hands almost every year; at least 50 presidencies between 1820-1860 (won via military coups)
1835: Mex govt sent troops to enforce Mexican law - war!
War between MX
Polk and Manifest Destiny 1845
newly installed US Pres. James K. Polk - campaigned on expansionist platform - annexed TX to US (joint resolution of Congress - 28th state) - manifest destiny
Gen. Santa Anna repudiated claims of U.S. government - vowed his intention to reconquer former province
After annexation
people of TX made extravagant claims about southwestern boundary - everything down to Rio Grande
Pres. Polk sent diplomatic emissary John Sidell to MX
Claim area between Nueces and Rio Grande
MX Constitutional Convention
attempt establish liberal democracy in 1853 - still autocratic
MX Conservatives vs Liberals
Liberal govt. installed leader: Benito Juarez (Abe Lincoln)
1857: first step toward democratic governance: constitution - laid basis for liberal government (federalism and capitalist principles)
Capitalist principles: sell off Indian communal lands; prohibit worker guilds; property taxes on church land
Expanded political liberties
Separation of Church and state (remove some church privileges)
War of the Reform (1858-1861)
Reformists win debts
Limit economic problems: Juarez suspended payments on MX foreign debts to Europe (Britain, France, and Spain acted quickly and condemned action - sought debt repayment)
France wanted more than debt repayment (conquest)
5/5/1862
France: 65000 troops; MX 2500 troops
Unfortunately, Cinco de Mayo a fleeting victory for MX
Following in Napoleon’s footsteps, Napoleon III sent 30,000 troops to conquer MX in 6//1863
Black Flag Decree (1865)
Anyone caught bearing arms within a 24 hr period, will be shot on sight.
Led to execution of thousands of Mexican soldiers (Alamo moment)
US civil war had ended
US sent thousand of tons of surplus war material along with US soldiers to fight against French rule
Maximilian, in turn, recruited 2,000 soldiers (former confederate soldiers)
12/1867 Mexican electorate re-elected Juarez (back to normal)
His return ushered in first-extended period of Mex-US friendship since Mex independence was declared.
Porfirio Diaz’ Opposition to Lerdo
Diaz opposed Tejada - no presidential reelection
pro-Diaz generals penned cartoons about Lerdo
Ex-celibate Lerdo, a young man under Jesuit eyes, was now satirized as a glutton, an erotomaniac, a nicotinmaniac, as a “great general”
1910-2024
1910 Diaz mentioned he might step down
Madero
A wealthy landowner; radical who opposed re-election of the president, much as Diaz himself had once advocated
Madero put together a coalition of supporters from various opposition parties
Frightened Diaz, prompted Diaz to have Madero arrested and imprisoned on charges “of fomenting rebellion and insulting the President of the Republic”
Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) similar to a civil war
Madero had assembled a coalition of opposition parties from different social classes to support him
Emiliano Zapata
Group from the south,peasants
Wants to eliminate large land holding, redistribute the land to Zapata’s peasant supporters
Madero believed in enforcement of property rights but with a democratic government (social democrat)
Madero was a large landowner–believed in equality opportunity through public education, not structural change
Pancho Villa
Led second army: lacked clear, coherent program
Believed in radical social views that attempted to nationalize large land holdings (especially in northern Mexico) and institute widespread primary school program
Pro-US early on
Venustiano Carranza
Led third army (known as constitutionalists)
Less revolutionary than first two groups
Alvaro Obregon
Led a fourth group from the “Northwest Group” (allied with Carranza against Villa and Zapata
Victoriano Huerta
most successful in gaining power
Backed by US
Henry Taft and Woodrow Wilson
Taft administration took public stand against Madero government and in staging the coup
Wanted restoration of government more sympathetic to US economic interests
US policy would change with asscension of Wilson (3/1913)
Wilson, an idealist and a moralist, was more or less concerned about the foreign investor, more about the welfare of Mexican people
Wilson refused to recognize the Huerta government
no sympathy with those who seek to seize government to advance their own personal interests and ambitions
Carranza chooses radical delegates
Delegates held a Constitutional Convention, which led to:
land reform
limits to poweres of the Church
labor rights–many of which had not been granted in many Western democracies
restrictions on foreign ownership of proprty
Constitution adopted and Carranza elected President and took office (5/1917)
However, he had little interest in implementing radical policies
Concerned with appearance supporting interest of groups
Obregon ushers in a relatively peaceful era
Does not apply foreign restrictions and is recognized by US as president
Was elected for a second term–then assassinated before taking office
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (1928)
dominated and monopolized politics at the national and state and local level in Mexico until 2000
Lazaro Cardenas
important changes with land reform
His govt was mobilizing and organizatin working class in labor unions; central component of his political based
Instrumental in founding Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) in 1936
Creation of the CTM and increase in labor activism and militancy went together with Cardenas main economic objective, namely economic nationalism
Beginning in 1934, serious labor troubles with oil workers that led to a major strike
(strike settled by govt arbitration)
3/1938: Supreme Court upheld Board of Arbitration decisions
Foreign companies refused to implement the decisions
To Mexican Govt, issue of sovereignty; to oil companies, question of protection of property rights
Roosevelt remained faithful to Good Neighbor Policy
Leads to PMEX
Cardenas also raised spending on social programs and infrastructure
PRI two main factors
dinosaurs and technocrats
12/1944: Zedillo instituted a peso devaluation, subsequently led to the peso losing half of its vakue
Foreign and powerful domestic interests promptly took their capital out of Mexico; reverberations throughout hemisphere
Leads to Tequila Effect
Tequila Effect
capital flight throughout LA
Divisions within PRI led to electoral defeat - political opening under Zedillo - victory for PAN (Vicente Fox) - democracy
Mexico since 2000
