1. Teaching Revolution: Mexico, 1900-1930

2. Session 1: 1:15-2:30pm
The Storm that Swept Mexico (Part 1 and sections of Part 2)
Session 2: 2:45pm-4pm
Thinking about the Revolution in context and in the classroom
Breakout sessions: How did the causes of the Mexican Revolution stem from international factors?
How was the Revolution helped or hindered by international elements between 1910 and 1920?
How can we think about the Revolution in ways that are similar or different to other revolutions you might teach?
How might you incorporate teaching the Revolution in World Civilizations classes?
What are some resources you can use to teach the Mexican Revolution?
How does exploring historical revolutions help us understand modern issues?
Agenda

3. Timeline
exicanRevolutionTimeline.pdf
1884: Porfírio Díaz begins his second term as president of México and modifies the constitution to stay in power
1893: Victor Ochoa, El Paso, TX, editor of Hispano- Americano, launches a revolutionary movement against Díaz—the first Mexican American to do so
1896: After inspiring several uprisings along México’s northern border, Teresita Urrea (la Santa de Cabora) is banished by the Díaz government and comes to El Paso in exile

4. Timeline
1906: Brothers Ricardo and Enríque Flores Magón make plans in El Paso for an anarchist movement (known as Magonistas); the plan fails
1908 The Magonistas (now also called the Partido Liberal Mexicano) make a second plan to take over Ciudad Juárez; this plan also fails
In an interview with American Journalist James Creelman, Díaz announces that he will retire at the end of his term because México is ready to hold free elections
1909 U.S. President William Taft meets with Díaz in El Paso
1910 Díaz runs for reelection but when Francisco I. Madero enters the race, he has Madero put in jail and wins the election
Madero escapes to San Antonio, TX, where he drafts the Plan of San Luis Potosí that calls for the overthrow of the Díaz regime.
The Revolution begins with insurrections in several states in northern México (November 20); over the next decade thousands of Mexicans flee to El Paso and the U.S.

5. Timeline
1911 Madero establishes his headquarters of the revolution in offices of the Caples Building in El Paso (January)
Madero establishes a provisional capital of México in an adobe building near the present-day site of Monument Marker #1 in El Paso (April)
Madero’s troops, under the direction of Francisco “Pancho” Villa and Pascual Orozco, attack federal troops in Ciudad Juárez as hundreds of El Pasoans watch from rooftops and train cars; this Battle of Juárez lasts for three days (May 8-10)
Having lost in Juárez, Díaz resigns and flees to Paris, France (May 25)
Madero wins election to the Mexican presidency Emiliano Zapata drafts the Plan de Ayala that denounces Madero, recognizes Orozco as the leader of the revolution, and calls for land reform (November 25)
The U.S. sends troops to the border, fearing that the revolution would cross over the border

6. Timeline
1912 Orozco breaks his alliance with Madero who assigns Villa and Victoriano Huerta to combat Orozco’s rebels in the north
1913 Huerta joins with Felix Díaz (Porfírio’s nephew) and Bernardo Reyes in planning a coup against Madero
During ten tragic days (“La Decena Tragica”) in México City, the forces of Huerta, Díaz, and Reyes attack Madero’s army (February 9-18); Madero, his brother, and his vice president José María Pino Suárez are killed
Huerta assumes the presidency
Venustiano Carranza drafts a Plan de Guadalupe that accuses Huerta of restoring a dictatorship and committing treason (March 26); Carranza calls for a return to the values of the Constitution of 1857 and his supporters are called Constitutionalists; for a brief time, the Mills Building in El Paso serves as the Constitutionalist headquarters
Villa attacks Huerta’s troops in the Second Battle of Juárez

7. Timeline 1914 Huerta faces increasing suspicion and opposition
U.S. president Woodrow Wilson sends troops to occupy Veracruz, México (April)
Villa’s revolutionaries establish offices in the First National Bank of El Paso
Villa’s forces defeat Huerta’s forces in Zacatecas and Huerta resigns (July)
Carranza declares himself president, but the claim is contested for nearly a year on legal and military grounds
Villa and Zapata break from Carranza and continue to challenge him (September)
Carranza flees to Veracruz, where he negotiates the removal of U.S. troops (November)

8. Timeline
1915 Carranza’s supporters, under the direction Álvaro Obregón, defeat Villa at the Battle of Celaya (April 13); Zapata’s supporters are defeated (May)
Carranza returns to México City (August)
The United States recognizes Carranza as México’s president (October)
Mariano Azuela writes Los De Abajo (The Underdogs), the first novel about the revolution, in an adobe home in El Paso
1916 Villa’s supporters attack a train in Santa Ysabel, Chihuahua, and kill 17 Americans, including employees of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO)
Anglo residents in El Paso attack Mexicans in a race riot outside of the Majestic Theater (January 13)
Villa raids Columbus, NM (March)
U.S. General John J. Pershing leads 10,000 soldiers into México in a “Punitive Expedition” that fails to capture Villa

9. Timeline
1917A new Mexican Constitution is drafted and Carranza is elected president
1919 Villa is defeated at the last Battle of Juárez; Zapata is assassinated at Chinameca
1920 Obregón is elected president of México

10. Incorporating the Revolution
Breakout sessions: How did the causes of the Mexican Revolution stem from international factors?
Height of global imperialism, US was a bit late to the party; US wasn’t necessarily a threat earlier in the period (1850s-1880s), from 1877 on, rebuilding nationalism; Economic stability was important in Mexico, in addition to a strong central government;
Nationalism
Banking Panic and switch to gold standard
Sino-Japanese Wars; Resurgent British Empire

11. Incorporating the Revolution
How was the Revolution helped or hindered by international elements between 1910 and 1920?
Zimmerman Telegram
US wavering support for Villa, Obregon, and Carranza; ;
Battles were won because of military tactics that were learned from Europe and the US; who won the battles determined who the US supported

12. Incorporating the Revolution
How can we think about the Revolution in ways that are similar or different to other revolutions you might teach?
Animal Farm as a way to understand how a revolution might be warranted, but doesn’t change much
Charismatic leaders, working class exploitation; Fahrenheit 451; Hunger Games;
Comparative Revolutions (Russia and Mexico in particular)
Military leaders are not necessarily the best political leaders

13. Incorporating the Revolution
How might you incorporate teaching the Revolution in World Civilizations classes?
World Civ class examining the different civilizations and what they are today, look at the revolutions; in depth look at the Revolution, what its history was, then compare it to events at the time, and also modern events
Revolt at Masada, slaves’ revolt; Mayas
Artistic revolution; how does art and music demonstrate revolution

14. Incorporating the Revolution
What are some resources you can use to teach the Mexican Revolution?
Choices Program- Mexico Between Two Worlds (videos, etc)
Edsitement- Mexican Revolution, Nov. 20, 1910 (art, culture, Mexican muralism, corridos, lessons, etc)
BBC- In Pictures Mexican Revolution through US Eyes
Jose Guadalupe Posada
The Border: Resources for Teaching
The Underdogs

15. Incorporating the Revolution
How does exploring historical revolutions help us understand modern issues?
Countries or people in a constant state of instability breed mistrust of the government and/or leaders; that internal struggle creates a picture of weakness and vulnerability; the govs/people would easily be overrun or conquered in a variety of way; currently illustrated in the Middle East, and Mexican drug cartel
Inequality triggers revolutions

16. Resources Lesson Plans
that-swept-mexico/storm-lesson-plan- leaders/#.WVI1h8aZN8U
plans/mexican-revolution/complete-guide.pdf
Videos
The Storm that Swept Mexico
The Last Zapatistas
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