The Mexican Revolution: The Rise Of Porfirio Diaz

Superior Essays
In the year of 1908, “60,000 to 100,000 Mexicans immigrated to the United States” due to a recession (Davenport 67). They left during the rule of Porfirio Díaz, who ruled Mexico as a dictatorship from 1876 to 1910. Taking control of a failing country, Díaz managed to improve the economy and infrastructure of Mexico, so some see him as a leader who transformed Mexico for the better. However, in order to make these improvements, Díaz had to exploit the lower class of Mexico and rig elections to ignore the two consecutive term limit so he could keep his power. Due to the poor conditions of the lower class and his blatant corruption, Mexico overthrew him in 1910 during the Mexican Revolution. Despite Díaz’ improvements to Mexico, his corruption …show more content…
He may have industrialized Mexico, but he did not solve the problems that came with industrialization. Laborers that were working in industrial factories had poor working conditions: low wages and no chance for promotion (Frost and Keegan 16-17). Also, workers in the haciendas, or plantations, were often illiterate, paid low wages, and had a one in four mortality rate (“The Restored Republic and Porfiriato”). Sometimes, the workers were not paid actual wages, but given credits for use in the company store (Frost and Keegan 20). Díaz hurt Mexico because he did not make any changes that would stop the squalor that the peasants were living in, even when other industrialized countries at the time had made reforms, such as labor unions, to help the working class, and those countries were successful. Even though these industries improved Mexico in terms of infrastructure, due to his failure to improve the conditions of low class, anger would build up in them due to their terrible state of living, and that resentment would lead to the uprising known as the Mexican Revolution, putting Mexico in a state of violence for years to come. Díaz would never address the issues with the working class, showing that he completely ignored them. Not only were the lower class of Mexico living in terrible conditions, but …show more content…
It seized land belonging to peasant villagers, and sold it to other companies, leaving the peasants homeless (Frost and Keegan 17-18). Workers were also forcefully collected by the military to work in the haciendas (Frost and Keegan 20). Anybody trying to organize any strikes or protest were forcefully stopped by the “rurales”, or police force (“The Restored Republic and Porfiriato”). Díaz knowingly allowed the lower class to be exploited in order to try and maintain his power by keeping the higher class of Mexico happy. Díaz was willing to leave the peasants without anywhere to live or farm, have them collected to be almost like slaves, and did not allow them to try and improve their working conditions. Díaz’ infringements of rights proved that he harmed Mexico. In order to justify these terrible acts, Díaz used “positivist ideals”, which is taking action to “benefit[...] some people at the expense of others” (“Porfirio Díaz”). Díaz thought that taking away the rights of the lower class was necessary in order to improve the lives of the upper class, but doing this led to the lower class taking part in the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which would, ironically, lower the power of the highest class. Díaz was against Mexico because the lower class were not recognized any rights during his reign. What the lower class had to suffer through prove that Díaz did not care about them, and their state of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The opposition took Juárez city and after this Diaz realized he lost territory and force; therefore, he looked for a deal again, bringing as a result the Juarez City agreements, where Díaz accepted to leave the presidency and Francisco Leon de la Barra will be the president. After that, in may 31, Diaz left the country. This is the end of the Porfiriato, the tyranny of Porfirio Diaz, who maintained in power for over 30 years, and a new start for Mexico begins. The end of one era, and the beginning of another…

    • 1385 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The effects can be identified in American culture, economy, politics, and demography. When Porfirio Diaz, Mexican leader, and politician came to power in Mexico in 1876, he brought very specific ideas to make the underdeveloped nation into the modern era. First, he started his plans through inviting foreign investment in petroleum, mining, and mineral extraction which access to infrastructural development. Second, he worked on securing rural lands and communal lands. Then, he stabilized his power and implemented different other policies.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Some people may say that “America is the land of opportunity”. Especially the Mexicans in the 1940s. America seemed to guarantee economic opportunity for them when their country could not. As described in the Weekly Reader’s article, “The Bracero Program”, during World War II the United States needed farmworkers to harvest crops and feed the nation since men were fighting in Europe and many women working in the industry. At the same time, the unemployment rate and crop failures were increasing in Mexico.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Diaz and his small band of elites were captivated with foreign influence and wanted to install as many of their ideas like, “leisure and ritual” as possible into every aspect of Mexican society. But more importantly, Diaz and his confidantes used European ideals as a vehicle to adjust and even…

    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Schwartz does however do an excellent job of highlighting the Spanish maneuvers and ability to take advantage of situations in the area. The choice to focus on the political climate of central Mexico as a leading factor to the success of the Spanish is demonstrated with massive amounts of convincing evidence. The shortcomings of the book are also mentioned by the Author in the introduction but states that the lack of evidence in existence is a major problem when studying the time period. The author states that sources from the time period demonstrate both class and gender bias due to the nature of the authors and societal expectations. While there are flaws in the book, the central argument is clear and supported effectively.…

    • 1599 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Echo of Women The Mexican Revolution is something that changed Mexico for the better and that had so many parts that made it happen. For instance, a key component to the victory was the role that women played. Not only because they cooked, cleaned and took care of their children, but they also fought for their rights as well. As for the De La Garza family, they fought for themselves without a father or a male role model by their side.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Mexican-American war was the first time for the United States to successfully obtain the neighboring territory by launching the war. The result of the war was that Mexico lost more than half of the land and plenty of natural resources. It seriously influenced the normal development of the Mexican economy, and it also caused the political reform in Mexico. It promoted the formation and development of the great economic power of the United States, and intensified the industrial capitalist economy in the north and slavery cultivation in the south. The volatile political situation in Mexico, the thirst for land and harbours for the American economy, and the influence of the expansion thought represented by "manifest destiny" are all important…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Revolutions have been a part of history since the first empire, some still go on today. I will be writing about 3 revolutions that we have learned about in World History; the revolution of Mexico, the U.S. revolution, and the French revolution. I will also discuss the goals and results of these events as well as the similarities and differences of them. The Mexican Revolution was caused by the people of latin america no longer wanting to be ruled by a european power.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American government, under president Hoover at the time, organized massive deportation campaigns that heavily impacted the well-being of both Mexican nationalists as well as American citizens of Mexican descent, seemingly casting a cloud of fear over the United States during the early 1930s. In the early twentieth century, the immigration of Mexicans to the United States was greater than ever. Due to the industrial growth at the time, Mexicans were invited by the United States government to immigrate to the United States and work. As many crossed the border in search of the higher wages that much of Mexico’s current economy could not offer them, this pattern of immigration was put into reverse by the Great Depression with the number of…

    • 1605 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Critical Assessment of “Sentiments of the Nation,’ Chilpancingo, Mexico” Mexico had a hard time gaining independence around 1810-1815. The two men leading this struggle were Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos, both parish priests. Hidalgo was more reformed and quirky whereas Morelos was a little lack luster but had more respect from the community. Hidalgo made an insurrection in 1810 that expressed his opposition toward colonial government and the immigrant Spanish elite. Despite it declaring a rush for independence, he was still executed.…

    • 1141 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The democratization of Mexico has led to neither less corruption nor less violence. It would appear that democracy has failed Mexico in that it has not kept many of the Mexican people…

    • 1417 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mexican Minority Groups

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughought the history of the United Sates after the colonization period, minority groups have suffered through appalling circumstances mandated by White Americans. They were targeted for discrimination at early ages regardless of gender, and these acumens varied from verbal confrontations to violent deaths. The reasons as to why minority groups had to undergo these preposterous events were only because of the difference of skin color and distinct language. One specific group that agonized during the 1800’s were Mexican Americans. Before taking over California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, this was Mexico’s undisturbed territory (1).…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Quest For A Homeland

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The documentary Quest for a Homeland focuses on the way Mexican- Americans were united to remind the United States of a promise which was forgotten. During the time 1846 the United States declared war to Mexico. Yet, two years later Mexico had lost the war and signed a treaty. Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Utah, part of Colorado and Wyoming had once belonged to Mexico. Overnight people lost their homes and some lost their lands.…

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    This would lead to the US to back Francisco Madero, a man more friendly toward US economic interests. When Madero forced Diaz to resign, many poor Mexicans started to demand change and the weak Madero was eventually killed. leading to new control. Obviously this posed a significant issue to the US which then moved into Mexico, occupying the port of Veracruz and indirectly assisting Venustiano Carranza, the leader who best fit the US interests. Overall, we can see that US extended their influence in certain countries for economic self interest, as seen by their influence in Colombia, Hawaii, and Mexico.…

    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The are many problems in Mexico, but the main and most important one is poverty, the amount people starving and not having enough money to support themselves doesn’t stop. Some people do have jobs, but don’t earn enough even though the work is rough. The conditions that people live in, in some places is horrible to watch. Studies have shown that around half of the Mexican people are poor and extremely poor. This woman, “Zuniga is one of the 45.5 percent of Mexicans who live below the poverty line.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays