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Read the a short article below to help you write a BCR.
Porfirio Díaz and “Order and Progress”
In 1876, Diaz took control of Mexico by overthrowing the president. He had the support of the military, whose power had been reduced during and after the Juárez years. Indians and small landholders also supported him, because they thought he would work for more radical land reform
During the Díaz years, elections became meaningless. Díaz offered land, power, or political favors to anyone who supported him.
He terrorized many who refused to support him, ordering them to be beaten or put in jail. Using such strong-arm methods, Diaz managed to remain in power until 1911. Over the years, Diaz used a political slogan adapted from a rallying cry of the Juárez era. Juárez had called for “Liberty, Order, and Progress.” Diaz, however, wanted merely
“Order and Progress.”
Díaz’s use of dictatorial powers ensured that there was order in
Mexico. But the country saw progress under Díaz too. Railroads expanded, banks were built, the currency stabilized, and foreign investment grew. Mexico seemed to be a stable, prospering country.
Appearances were deceiving however. The wealthy acquired more and more land, which they did not put to good use. As a result, food costs rose steadily. Most Mexicans remained poor farmers and workers, and they continued to grow poorer.In the early 1900s, Mexicans from many walks of life began to protest Diaz’s harsh rule.
Idealistic liberals hungered for liberty. Farm laborers hungered for land. Workers hungered for fairer wages and better working conditions. Even some of Diaz’s handpicked political allies spoke out for reform. A variety of political parties opposed to Diaz began to form. Among the most powerful was a party led by Francisco Madero.
Born into one of Mexico’s ten richest families, Francisco Madero was educated in the United States and France. He believed in democracy and wanted to strengthen its hold in Mexico. Madero announced his candidacy for president of Mexico early in 1910. Soon afterward, Diaz had him arrested.
From exile in the United States, Madero called for an armed revolution
against Díaz.
The Mexican Revolution began slowly. Leaders arose in different parts of Mexico and gathered their own armies. In the north, Francisco (Pancho” Villa became immensely popular. He had a bold Robin Hood policy of taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor.
South of Mexico City, another strong, popular leader, Emiliano Zapata, raised a powerful revolutionary army. Like Villa, Zapata came from a poor family. He was determined to see that land was returned to peasants and small farmers. He wanted the laws reformed to protect their rights.
“Tierra y Libertad” (*Land and Liberty”) was his battle cry. Villa, Zapata, and other armed revolutionaries won important victories against Diaz’s army. By the spring of 1911, Diaz agreed to step down. He called for new electionsMexican Leaders Struggle for Power
Madero was elected president in November 1911. However, his policies were seen as too liberal by some and not revolutionary enough by others. Some of those who had supported Madero, including Villa and Zapata, took up arms against him. In 1913, realizing that he could not hold on to power, Madero resigned. The military leader General Victoriano Huerta then took over the presidency. Shortly after, Madero was assassinated, probably on Huerta’s orders.Huerta was unpopular with many people, including Villa and Zapata. These revolutionary leaders allied themselves with Venustiano Carranza, another politician who wanted to overthrow Huerta. Their three armies advanced, seizing the Mexican countryside from Huerta’s forces and approaching the capital, Mexico City.
They overthrew Huerta only 15 months after he took power. Carranza took control of the government and then turned his army on his former revolutionary allies. Both Villa and Zapata continued to fight. In 1919, however, Carranza lured Zapata into a trap and murdered him. With Zapata’s death, the civil war also came to an end. More than a million Mexicans had lost their lives.
In what ways were the goals of the Chinese and Mexican Revolutions similar?
Claim
Evidence comes from at least two sources.
Each piece of evidence is accompanied by a clear and detailed explanation of how you think it
supports your thesis.
A concluding statement
