Obregon Flashcards
election
In 1919, Álvaro Obregón announced he would run as president in 1920. Technically, the last president, Huerta, had left office in 1914. Obregón accused Carranza of betraying the Revolution; the military backed Obregón. Carranza tried to flee to Veracruz and was killed by Obregón’s supporters en route. His train was ambushed. Obregón may have called for this. Obregón was elected in 1920 in a fair election, winning with 95% of the vote. He won on a platform of ending corruption, promising to provide “time, capital, education and…directing hand” to rebuild Mexico and the declaration that the Mexican Revolution was OVER: fighting now done, now it was time to institutionalize Mexican Revolution. His presidency marks the beginning of the “Post Revolutionary State Building” period.
Treaty of Bucareli
Obregon made a deal with the USA that said he would honor any foreign ownership in place before the 1917 Constitution, particularly when it came to foreign oil companies 21% to 34% of Mexico’s economy depended on oil sales, so Mexico’s economy was completely tied to foreign oil ownership. Essentially, the Treaty of Bucareli meant that any foreign companies that already owned property in Mexico could keep it. This Treaty violated article 27 of the 1917 Constitution.
Land reform- Obregon
Obregón chose a former Zapatista as the Minister of Agriculture, responsible for organizing land distribution. However, the Ministry of Agriculture was fairly unsuccessful. The average wait time to receive land was 4 years. Less than 1/3 of the people who applied for land received it and the land that was handed out tended to be of poor quality. Obregón set up the National Agrarian Commission to study the issue of land reform, but it did not accomplish anything. Obregón ensured that the rich kept their land, including himself. He gave more land than Carranza, but this was not saying much. In order to pay back the $1 million in debt Mexico owed to foreign nations, Obregón slashed funding for loan programs that would give peasants money to buy tools and seed to cultivate the land.
Social Programs
The government regulated religion but also helped more people have access to education. People want religious education but the government outlawed religious education. There are not enough non-religious schools for people to go too. He only dedicated 15% of his budget to education.
Foreign debt
Government owes over 1 billion dollars to foreign countries. Potentially any foreign companies can keep their land.
National Agrarian Commission
It was supposed to be used for surveying agricultural areas but failed due to lack of funding.
Secretariat of Public Education
Trained more teachers and created more schools. He gave more money to education than any president before him. They cannot teach religion even though many parents want their children to receive religious education.
