1. Development of the State
Mexico

2. What in the past has shaped today’s Mexican politics?
Mexico
intro
What in the past has shaped today’s Mexican politics?

3. What makes it special?
Mexico

4. It has rich mineral deposits and large oil reserves
Mexico
Geography
Geography
Diverse geography including rain forests, snowcapped volcanoes & rich agriculture
Two mountain ranges divide Mexico – the eastern & western Sierra Madres
Only 12% of the land is arable, & most of it is concentrated in the north
The US is a major market for agriculture exports & proximity is important
It has rich mineral deposits and large oil reserves

5. Migration also occurs from the poor south to the wealthier north
Mexico
Geography
Population
It has 114 million people, the second largest population in Latin America.
It is racially diverse. 60% Mestizo, 30% consider themselves indigenous
Largest indigenous groups are Maya in the far south & Nahuatl in Central Mexico
Three quarters of the population lives in an urban area. More are migrating
Migration also occurs from the poor south to the wealthier north

6. Spanish Rule
Mexico

7. Mexico Spanish European Arrival
Mayans, Aztecs & Toltecs all had prosperous economies throughout area
Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519
Within 3 years, he defeated the last Aztecs and destroyed Tenochtitlan
Indigenous populations went from 25 million people to about 1 million
Surviving indigenous people concentrated in central and southern Mexico – becoming a permanent underclass of slaves & landless peasants

8. Mexico Spanish Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire built on the hierarchy, authoritarianism, & militarism of Aztecs
Mexico became the richest of Spain’s colonial possessions.
Spain ruled the distant colony harshly, with new viceroy sent every 4 years
Colonial viceroys were absolute dictators, stamping out all dissent
Corruption was rampant in the colonial administration because there was no civilian oversight

9. Independence
Mexico

10. Criollos were Mexican born descendants of Spanish colonists
Mexico
Independence
Independence
Struggle for independence was a conflict between aristocracy loyal to Spain & increasingly powerful criollos
Criollos were Mexican born descendants of Spanish colonists
In Europe, Napoleon invaded Spain & a progressive liberal constitution was adopted.
Conservative elites in Mexico thought independence would be the only way to preserve the status quo
They declared independence in 1821 to preserve the role of the Catholic Church & implement a constitutional monarchy

11. Mexico Independence Independence
The War of Independence lasted 11 years and cost over half a million lives
Independence was dominated by conservatives who wanted to preserve the economic & social status quo
Independence made things worse for indigenous & mestizo populations
Power of landowners grew with independence & it inequality grew
Conservatives wanted to maintain a monarchy while liberals wanted a US style democracy
It was dominated by local military strongmen

12. Santa Anna dominated politics for the next 30 years
Mexico
Independence
Strongmen Leaders
Mexico’s first leader was Colonol Agustin de Iturbide – crowned emperer in 1822
He was overthrown & executed by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the first in a series of military strongmen
Santa Anna dominated politics for the next 30 years
Despite having lots of power, he was unable to prevent Texas from seceding or the losses of the Mexican American War
In the aftermath of the war, the War of the Castes, an uprising of Mayans began in the south.

13. Mexico Independence Juarez Mexico’s liberals were led by Benito Juarez
They wanted modernization and secularization and more centralization
Juarez became president on three separate occasions & imposed a progressive constitution in 1857
In 1864, the French invaded & with the help of Mexican conservatives imposed a monarchy under Maximillan
Juarez regained power in 1867 & Maximilian was captured & executed

14. Porfiriato
Mexico

15. Mexico Porfiriato Porfiriato
General Porfirio Diaz helped expel the French & backed Juarez’s liberal reforms
He assumed power in 1876 and embraced conservative ideas to gain their support and maintain power
He had himself reelected up until 1910, an authoritarian regime known as the Porfiriato – the first stability since 1810s
He was responsible for Mexico’s first real economic development and was the first to impose order on remote areas

16. Mexican Revolution
Mexico

17. Both groups wanted to weaken the role of the Catholic Church
Mexico
Revolution
Mexican Revolution
It was a struggle between middle class Mexicans who were resisting Diaz and radical social reformers
Both groups wanted to weaken the role of the Catholic Church
In the first phase, middle class reformers led by Francisco Madero defeated the Diaz regime
The second phase was a struggle between the moderate formers and the radicals led by Emiliano Zapata

18. Mexico Revolution Mexican Revolution
After the initial uprising, Mexico descended into political chaos
Zapata organized a peasant army in the south to push for agrarian reform
Pancho Villa organizes an army of peasants and small farmers in the north
Local military strongmen fought one another for about 10 years
1.5 million Mexicans died & thousands more fled to the USA

19. Order was restored in 1917 under the leadership of Venustiano Carranza
Mexico
Revolution
1917 Constitution
Order was restored in 1917 under the leadership of Venustiano Carranza
He was a governor who defeated those who wanted a return to dictatorship and the Zapata & Villa radical groups
The Constitution of 1917 was written by middle class mestizo professionals
Provisions weakened the Catholic Church & called for regular elections.
It created a system based on federalism to prevent reemergence of dictatorship

20. Mexico Revolution 1917 Constitution
It also prohibited foreign ownership of Mexican land and mineral rights
It reflected the power of the emerging mestizo middle class
It provided protection of indigenous communal lands & called for land reform
Carrazna was unable to implement all of the reforms or stop political violence
His government murdered Zapata in 1919 & he was assassinated in 1920

21. Mexico Revolution After Carranza
The next 2 presidents, Obregon & Calles, were finally able to maintain order
Obregon helped trade unions & promoted land reform & gained the recognition of the US
Calles consolidated power by imposing income tax, investing in education & infrastructure, & took land from the Church
After leaving power in 1929, Calles created the Partido Revolutionario Institucional – the PRI

22. The PRI in Power
Mexico

23. Mexico The PRI Founding The PRI was created to be a party of power
Its goal was to encompass all who supported the revolution, so its members ranged from liberal to socialists
It was designed to co-opt important interest groups in Mexican society
Its main purpose was to end political violence by controlling the political system and presidential succession
It brought Mexico an unprecedented period of political peace

24. Mexico The PRI Presidents
PRI provided Mexico with political stability that its founders wanted
Mexico held presidential elections every 6 years & new presidents assumed office without violence or military intervention
PRI presidents were directly elected for a single 6 year term
PRI presidents claimed power to name their successors by naming the PRI candidate for the presidency
Mexican president had more power than typical democratic presidents & were treated more like monarchial heads of state

25. It kept human rights abuses to a minimum.
Mexico
The PRI
PRI Rule
Mexico under the PRI is best characterized as an authoritarian regime dominated by a single party
It allowed for more civil liberties than its authoritarian counterparts
It held regular elections, even if they weren’t always free and fair, and tolerated & encouraged other parties
It kept human rights abuses to a minimum.
It maintained power through co-optation & its success meant it didn’t have to resort to brute repression

26. Mexico The PRI Presidents
Regular elections were held for national, state, and local offices and opposition parties did actively contest all of them
There was no formal censorship of the press & Mexicans were free to criticize the government
Between 1929 & 2000, the PRI controlled the presidency, legislature, and state and local governments
The PRI dominated the unions, controlled the economy (and Mexico’s oil) and
co-opted opposition

27. Erosion of PRI Power
Mexico

28. The early 1980s brought economic & political challenges to PRI rule
Mexico
Losing Power
Competition
The early 1980s brought economic & political challenges to PRI rule
Mexico’s massive debt and the devaluation of the peso led to an economic crisis
The opposition in northern Mexico, began to seriously contest & sometimes win state and local elections
Opposition in the north had long been an advocate of free market economic policy
The PRI was forced to rely on more overt electoral fraud to deny power to the opposition parties

29. Mexico Losing Power End of PRI Rule
The 1988 election of Carlos Salinas de Gortari was only possible through electoral fraud
Popular outrage finally led to reforms of the electoral system
Salinas continued the PRI gradual adoption of neoliberal reform by agreeing to NAFTA
Mexico’s economy was opened up to foreign investment
Economic crisis & electoral reform led to the 2000 election of PAN candidate of Vincente Fox

30. Estudiar con Enrique
Mexico

31. Main Ideas Mexico Enrique’s Encouragement <Results of colonial rule
Liberal vs Conservative Goals
Creation of PRI
Enrique’s Encouragement
Economic Problems & PRI