The Porfiriato: Porifio Diaz’s Reign Roots of the Mexican Revolution

1876: Diaz becomes president and inherits… over fifty-five years of independence, the presidency had changed hands seventy-five times there had been few consistent policies, and much of the country had not benefited from the scientific, technological, or industrial advances of the 19th century inherited an empty treasury and large foreign debts Mexico was importing more than they were exporting mines were in bad shape, docks in disrepair, poor health conditions, and telegraph construction had barely begun

Diaz: “order, peace, and progress” necessary to change Mexico’s image needed to bring stability over turbulence and firmness over chaos establish rule of law above all else - meet any resistance with force began process of modernization voluntarily stepped aside in 1880

the return of Diaz returned and assumed power until 1911 modernization happened rapidly under his leadership - public buildings, prisons, telegraph cables, electric tramways, sewage and drainage systems, and railroads (almost two thousand miles of track by 1890) created Department of Foreign Relations to improve the country’s image - treaties signed with numerous countries balanced the budget, and actually was spending less than revenue

change came at a cost a great deal of foreign investment and ownership in Mexico under Diaz - American and British Oil Companies drilling in Mexico made Mexico one of the largest petroleum producers in the world dictatorship by force - no opposition allowed haciendas consumed private and communal lands

peones in the north working conditions in haciendas deplorable with huge gap between owners and workers

peones in the south in southern states, campesinos (farmers) wanted their communal village farms back (ejidos) - a few families dominated the sugar cane plantations

miners in the north mines were often owned by American companies with American management and workers - Mexican workers paid a fraction of what Americans were paid June 1, strike at Cananea Consolidated Copper Company - workers wanted to negotiate a better deal workers fired upon, later returned fire, and later routed by force of 275 Arizona Rangers (crossed over border one at a time) - all leaders were then executed

factory workers in central Mexico factory work miserable - poor wages, 12-hour workdays, 8 and 9 year old workers, and workers had to pay for the depreciation of machinery January, Rio Blanco textile mills - workers agreed to take their complaints to the president directly Diaz sided with the owners when workers were refused credit at company store, they set fire to store and federal troops intervened, firing on workers, including women and children - observers claimed that the death toll was over 100 government blamed agitators in the United States for the problems - ignored work condition issues

the group with the least to lose was losing patience…