The Mexican Revolution: Changing Interpretations

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The Mexican Revolution Changing Interpretations
Andrew G. Wood
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• Recent Treatments of the Revolution.
• Contain Very little to no historiography.

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Revolutionary Goals

• Aimed at toppling regime of porfirio díaz
• (re)establishing democratic political practices.
• Reclaiming lands usurped by estate owners.
  (agrarian reform).
• Curbing influence of foreigners.
• Promoting social justice and improved social
  conditions.

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Key Players

• Francisco Madero
• Pancho Villa
• Emiliano Zapata
• Victoriano Huerta
• Venustiano Carranza
• Alvaro ObregÓn
• Plutarco Elías Calles
• LÁzaro Cárdenas
• And a cast of millions

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Outcomes

• 1917 Constitution
• Labor laws
• 1938 Oil Expropriation
• Agrarian Reform
• One party rule

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HistoriographyEarly Views
John Reed
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Early Histories

• Ernest Gruening, Mexico and Its Heritage, 1928.
• Carleton Beals, Mexican Maze, 1931.
• Hudson Strode, Timeless Mexico, 1944.

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• Eyler Simpson, The Ejido Mexicos way out, 1937.
  
• Nathaniel and Sylvia weyl, The reconquest of
  Mexico The years of lÁzaro cÁrdenas, 1939.
• John Foster Dulles, Yesterday in Mexico A
  chronicle of the Revolution, 1919-1936. 1961

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Female observers of the revolution

• Virginia Prewett, Reportage on Mexico, 1941.
• Betty Kirk, Covering the Mexican Front, 1942.
• Anita Brenner and George leighton, The wind that
  swept mexico, 1943.

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• Two Major pioneers
• Frank Tannenbaum
• Daniel Cosío Villegas

Populist and Revisionist tendencies
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Frank Tannenbaum

• The Mexican Agrarian revolution, 1929.
• Peace by revolution, 1933.
• The struggle for peace and bread, 1950.
• First major interpreter of the revolution.

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Populist Revolt/revolution
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Daniel Cosío villegas
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disillusionment

• Mexico in 1940s.
• Critical turning point.

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Searching History for clues to contemporary (post
1946) crisis
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Benito JuÁrez
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Francisco madero
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Porfirio díaz
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Emiliano Zapata
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Pancho Villa
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Combinations of Populist and Revisionist
approaches
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