CCOT Presentation Mexico and Nationalism By Emma Boardman and Katy Callaghan

Situation 1850: recent movement for independence against Spain war with US over Texas, they lost Caste War, Maya rebellion new laws limiting the power of the Catholic church and military French invaded Mexico in 1862, Emperor Maximilian executed Mexican society was split between rich landowners and poor workers.

Situation 1975: Stability brought about by a successful revolution as well as beneficial reforms (the Cárdenas Reforms) such as a 6-year limit on presidential terms. Mexico’s oil industry was industrialized by Cárdenas. Despite the reforms, the Mexican population was still mostly made up of poor farmers.

Change #1 Revolution and Civil War Few very wealthy families of Spanish origin (1%) owned 85% of Mexico’s land. Most of Mexico’s railroads, silver mines, plantations and other productive enterprises were owned by British and American companies. Wealthy Mexican families and American companies used bribery and force to acquire millions of acres of good agricultural land from villages in Southern Mexico. Peasants lost a lot of their resources and had little choice but to work on haciendas. To survive, they had to buy food and other necessities on credit from the landowners store, eventually falling permanently into debt.

Change #2 The Díaz Regime brought about the devolution of Mexican culture and nationhood. General Porfirio Díaz increased the wealth gap by granting more freedom for rich hacienda owners as well as allowing foreign investors to acquire more land. Mexico City became more industrial under Díaz’s regime, but this material progress benefitted only a handful of well-connected businessmen and lowered the average Mexican’s standard of living. Díaz discriminated against the non-white majority of Mexicans. Despite being a mestizo (of Indian/European descent), he and his supporters tried to eradicate what they saw as Mexico’s rustic traditions. They replaced traditional Mexican dishes with French cuisine, and the wealthy replaced sombreros and ponchos with European dress. To the educated middle class (the only group with a strong sense of Mexican nationhood), this devolution of Mexican culture became a symbol of the Díaz regime’s failure to defend national interests against foreign influences.

Continuity #1 Stability of overall life in Mexico during and after Lázaro Cárdenas’ presidency (1934-1940). Political system was free of both chaos and dictatorships. Few wealthy people no longer monopolize land and other resources. The military was tamed, and the Catholic Church no longer controlled education. Nationalisation of oil had demonstrated Mexico’s independence from foreign corporations and military intervention. Allowed far more sectors of the population to participate in politics and made sure no president stayed in office more than six years. these reforms fell short of the ideals expressed by the revolutionaries, but they laid the foundation for the later industrialisation of Mexico.

Continuity #2 The Mexican revolution sparked a surge of creativity that lasted long after the Revolution. Art made in the time focused on social themes, showing scenes from the revolution. Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo include some of the artists that are still revered to this day. These works of art gave Mexicans a sense of national unity and pride in the achievements of the Revolution that lasted long after the revolutionary fervor had dissipated.

Mexico c. 1850

Mexico c. 1975

Mexico’s Territorial Evolution

Works Cited The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Maximilian: Biography - Archduke of Austria and Emperor of Mexico." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2015. "Territorial Evolution of Mexico." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. Bulliet, R., P. Crossley, D. Headrick, S. Hirsch, L. Johnson, and D. Northrup.The Earth and It's Peoples A Global History Ap Edition. N.p.: Wadsworth Pub, 2010. Print. 18 Mar. 2015.