The Mexican Revolution deposed the country’s longest-serving president.
Porfirio Díaz first made a name for himself at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. In an event celebrated every Cinco de Mayo, he helped the undermanned Mexican Army defeat invading French troops. Then, after trying and failing to get elected president democratically, Díaz seized power in an 1876 coup. Except for one four-year break, at which time a trusted associate served as president, Díaz would lead Mexico until 1911. Under his reign, foreign capital flooded into the country and extensive infrastructure modernizations took place. But land and power were concentrated in the hands of the elite, and elections were a charade. Following an economic downturn in 1907, even some middle- and upper-class citizens began to turn on him. Pro-democracy advocate Francisco Madero, who came from a wealthy family of landowners and industrialists, decided to challenge Díaz in the 1910 presidential race. Díaz jailed him, however, when it became clear he was gaining momentum. Upon his release Madero fled to Texas, where he issued a call for Mexicans to rise up against their government on November 20, 1910. Despite starting off slowly, revolutionaries soon made gains in the northern state of Chihuahua and elsewhere. By May 1911, Díaz had resigned and gone to France in exile.
Porfirio Díaz first made a name for himself at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. In an event celebrated every Cinco de Mayo, he helped the undermanned Mexican Army defeat invading French troops. Then, after trying and failing to get elected president democratically, Díaz seized power in an 1876 coup. Except for one four-year break, at which time a trusted associate served as president, Díaz would lead Mexico until 1911. Under his reign, foreign capital flooded into the country and extensive infrastructure modernizations took place. But land and power were concentrated in the hands of the elite, and elections were a charade. Following an economic downturn in 1907, even some middle- and upper-class citizens began to turn on him. Pro-democracy advocate Francisco Madero, who came from a wealthy family of landowners and industrialists, decided to challenge Díaz in the 1910 presidential race. Díaz jailed him, however, when it became clear he was gaining momentum. Upon his release Madero fled to Texas, where he issued a call for Mexicans to rise up against their government on November 20, 1910. Despite starting off slowly, revolutionaries soon made gains in the northern state of Chihuahua and elsewhere. By May 1911, Díaz had resigned and gone to France in exile.
A new Mexican strongman soon took over.
Madero became president in November 1911, but fighting continued throughout large segments of the country, including the south, where Emiliano Zapata’s army of peasants seized lands that had purportedly been stolen by rich hacienda owners. Meanwhile, in February 1913, some counterrevolutionary leaders broke out of prison in Mexico City and marched to the National Palace with their troops in tow. Over the next 10 days hard fighting in the city center produced thousands of civilian casualties. Madero had tasked General Victoriano Huerta with putting down the uprising, but Huerta ended up switching sides and arresting Madero. He then had Madero executed and took hold of the presidency himself.
Madero became president in November 1911, but fighting continued throughout large segments of the country, including the south, where Emiliano Zapata’s army of peasants seized lands that had purportedly been stolen by rich hacienda owners. Meanwhile, in February 1913, some counterrevolutionary leaders broke out of prison in Mexico City and marched to the National Palace with their troops in tow. Over the next 10 days hard fighting in the city center produced thousands of civilian casualties. Madero had tasked General Victoriano Huerta with putting down the uprising, but Huerta ended up switching sides and arresting Madero. He then had Madero executed and took hold of the presidency himself.
By. Valeria Duran 3°B
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