Final Mexican History !53
Pres. James K. Polk
(1845-1849) An expansionist President of the United States, James K. Polk was perhaps more responsible than any other single person for setting the boundaries of what came to be the American West. Although thousands of Spanish and Mexican documents showed that Texas' western boundary had traditionally been the Nueces River, Polk backed the Texans' claim that their western border was the Rio Grande. Since Texas claimed the river all the way to its source, their position implied that half of present-day New Mexico and Colorado was rightfully theirs. The Mexican government found this unacceptable and refused the United States' offer of about forty million dollars for New Mexico and California. When U.S. General Zachary Taylor led an army across the disputed area to the banks of the Rio Grande in 1846, Mexican troops attacked his units and killed sixteen of his men. Polk seized upon this incident as proof of Mexican treachery, and quickly secured a declaration of war from Congress. Although the United States ultimately defeated Mexico's poorly-armed troops in some of the most destructive warfare ever witnessed to that time, the acquisition of the West was, ironically, little help to Polk. The inescapable issue of slavery soon darkened the nation's expansionist prospects, as Congress took up legislation that would prohibit slavery in all newly-acquired territories. pp. 406- 408
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
(1848) treaty signed by the U.S. and Mexico that officially ended the Mexican-American War; Mexico had to give up much of its northern territory to the U.S (Mexican Cession); in exchange the U.S. gave Mexico $15 million and said that Mexicans living in the lands of the Mexican Cession would be protected
Venustiano Carranza
(1859-1920) Mexican revolutionist and politician; he led forces against Vitoriano Huerta during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920).
Ley Juarez
(Nov. 23, 1855), which abolished fueros (special exemptions) and the use of special military and ecclesiastical courts in civil cases.
War of Reform
- reformers vs conservatives - war left MX in ruins/debt - Juarez/his government forced to flee but later defeat conservatives
Constitution of 1917 (Mexico)
- restricted the power of the catholic church - empowered the government to redistribute land - advocated leftists labor rights
Ley Lerdo
1856 prohibited corporate ownership of rural; forced church to sell land; purpose was to raise money by collecting taxes on all of the land that the Church had to sell; reduce power of Church and give power to government.which restricted the right of ecclesiastical and civil corporations to own lands by decreeing that church lands not directly used for religious purposes and lands held in common by indigenous communities (ejidos) must be sold.
Manifest Destiny
A notion held by a nineteenth-century Americans that the United States was destined to rule the continent, from the Atlantic the Pacific.
Francisco"Pancho" Villa
A popular leader during the Mexican Revolution. An outlaw in his youth, when the revolution started, he formed a cavalry army in the north of Mexico and fought for the rights of the landless in collaboration with Emiliano Zapata.
Federalists
A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
An agreement for free trade between the United States and Canada and Mexico
Article 123
An article concerning the labor code of Mexico, defining the 8 hour work day, put an end to company stores, and upheld worker rights.
Vicente Fox
Became president of Mexico in 2000 and ended the PRI's reign; Pushed to end official corruption, reduce poverty, and spur economic growth; Tried to protect the rights of Mexico's natives;
Gadseden Purchase
Buying the current states of Arizona, New Mexico and Californias Southern boarders.
Rio Grande
Claimed by United States as southern boundary of Texas.
Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
Conflict between the US and Mexico that after the US annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered its own. As victor, the US aqcuired vast new territories from Mexico through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Republic of Texas
Created March, 1836 but not recognized until the next month after the battle of San Jacinto. Its second president attempted to establish a sound government and develop relations with England and France. However, rapidly rising public debt, internal conflicts and renewed threats from Mexico led Texas to join the U.S. in 1845.
Enrique Krauze
Enrique Krauze Kleinbort, is a Mexican public intellectual, historian, essayist, critic, producer, and publisher. He has written numerous books about the Mexican Revolution and leading figures in Mexican history, as well as economic analysis of the nation's history.
Cuauhtemoc Cardenas
Founder of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), son of Mexico's famed leader Lazaro Cardenas. Ejected from the PRI for demanding reform that emphasized social justice and populism and then switched parties to PRD.
General John J. Pershing
General of the American Expeditionary Force in WWI
Victoriano Huerta
He was a Mexican military officer and President of Mexico who was also leader of the violent revolution that took place in 1913. His rise to power caused many Mexicans to cross the border as well as angering the United States who saw him as a dictator.
General Ignacio Zaraagoza
Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín was a Mexican general and politician. He led the Mexican army that defeated invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
Luis Echeverria
Interior Secretary at the time of the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968, he was generally held responsible. He later served as President of Mexico from 1970 to 1976. He was accused of irresponsible government spending which increased inflation and cronyism, President from 1970-1976. He is notable for 1) promising a "democratic opening" 2) for being a populist and indigenista 3) "Tercermundismo" or Third-Worldism, a focus on reducing the gap between "Third World" countries and First World 4) Expanded the spending power of the State by spending and borrowing money.
Centralists
Latin American politicians who wished to create strong, centralized national governments with broad powers; often supported by politicians who described themselves as conservatives.
Maquiladoras in Mexico
Maquiladoras are factories in Mexico that assemble imported materials into finished products that are then exported
Flores Magon Brothers
Members of the liberal movement who started the publication 'Regeneracion,' a Mexico City weekly. Through their columns they supported the new liberal movements and later began to attack the regime. Their arrest invigorated the liberal movement as freedom of the press and suppression of the 'jefes politicos' became new causes, but with Diaz's support of their arrest, the movement became an anti-Diaz movement. After released from jail, the brothers moved to the U.S. to continue to bash the Diaz regime and start the call to revolution.
Agustin de Iturbide
Mexican (creole) army officer who joined forces w/ the Indians and Mestizos won mexican's independence then claimed himself emperor
Cinco de Mayo: May 5, 1862
Mexican Military victory in 1862 over the Mexican traitors and French forces of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla. Showed courage and strength of the Mexican troops; Mexican unity and patriotism.
Diego Rivera
Mexican Muralist who created artworks in Mexico and the U.S. focusing on political messages.
PEMEX
Mexican Petroleum; a government agency that runs the oil industry in Mexico
Jose Clemente Orozco
Mexican muralist of the period after the Mexican Revolution; like Rivera's, his work featured romantic images of the Indian past with Christian symbols and Marxist ideology.
Benito Juarez
Mexican national hero; brought liberal reforms to Mexico, including separation of church and state, land distribution to the poor, and an educational system for all of Mexico
Frida Kahlo
Mexican painter; international popularity with self-portraits; was married to Diego Rivera; influenced by Rivera, shared his Communist views
Dona Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez
Mexican patriot as well as a heroine of Mexico's Independence War, made her name in history for her bravery when she risked her own life alerting the rebel insurgents about the discovery of the Queretaro Conspiracy for Independence. Thanks to her, Father Miguel Hidalgo moved forward the date in which the Independence movement would start to the early hours of September 16th, 1810. Without her timely notice, the struggle for independence would have been discovered and the efforts of the conspirators would never have achieved their ultimate purpose: Mexico's Independence from the Spanish Crown.
Jose Lopez Portillo
Mexican president from 76-82 who increased the role of the state in the economy and nationalized mexico's banking system in an attempt to avert a national economic crisis
Carlos Salinas de Gortari
Mexican president in 1991; ended the ejido system; farmers could vote to divide their ejido into single farms; privatized farming
Jose Maria Morelos
Mexican priest and former student of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, he led the forces fighting for Mexican independence until he was captured and executed in 1814. (See also Hidalgo y Costilla, Miguel.) (p. 626)
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Mexican priest who led the first stage of the Mexican independence war in 1810. He was captured and executed in 1811.
Guadalupe Victoria
Mexican revolutionary who fought against Spain the war of independence and served as the first president of Mexico
Carlos Fuentes 1928-2012
Mexican writer Mexican culture and how to preserve it--novels real themes in fictional works Works: La region mas transparente, Las buenas conciencias, Cambio de piel, Terra nostra
Mexican Independence Movement
On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, launched the Mexican War of Independence with the issuing of his Grito de Dolores, or "Cry of Delores." The revolutionary tract called for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico, redistribution of land, and racial equality.
David Alfaro Siquerios
Painted murals; his work reflected his Marxist ideologies.
PRI
Partido Revolucionario Institucional, Mexican political party that dominated the country's political institutions from its founding in 1929 until the end of the 20th century. Virtually all important figures in Mexican national and local politics belonged to the party, because the nomination of its candidate to a public office was almost always tantamount to election. Originally called the National Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Nacional), the party was renamed the Mexican Revolutionary Party (Partido de la Revolución Mexicana) in 1938 and took its current name, Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional; PRI), in 1946. The PRI was founded by former president Plutarco Elías Calles and his followers in a period of conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, rebellion in the military, and disputes with the United States. In effect, the party represented the institutionalization of the new power structure that had emerged as a result of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20), a coalition of regional and local political-military bosses and labour and peasant leaders. This governing coalition sought a more conservative evolution (though often under "revolutionary" guises) and more stability in government. In the new party-state system that emerged, party control came to be concentrated in the Central Executive Committee, whose chief was selected by the president of Mexico and entrusted with the task of approving party nominees for all important elective positions in Mexico except for the presidency. The incumbent president, who under the Mexican constitution could serve only one term, selected his own successor. The Central Executive Committee became responsible for enforcing a common understanding among state and national officials and among the various groups within the party.
PRD
Party of the Democratic Revolution. Mexico's main left-of-center opposition party. pri oppstion
Lazaro Cardenas
President of Mexico (1934-1940). He brought major changes to Mexican life by distributing millions of acres of land to the peasants, bringing representatives of workers and farmers into the inner circles of politics, and nationalizing the oil industry
Maximilian von Habsburg
Proclaimed emperor of Mexico following intervention of France in 1862; ruled until overthrow and execution by liberal revolutionaries under Benito Juárez in 1867.
Cristeros Rebellion
Rebellion led by priests in the 1920s against new laws against the rights of churches and priests
Texas Rebellion (1836)
Slavery was against Mexican law, but Americans brought slaves to Texas. Many American settlers and Tejanos, or Mexicans who lived in Texas, wanted to break away from Mexico. They did not like laws made by Santa Anna, Mexico's president. The Tejanos and Texans decided to fight for independence.Texas Revolution was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos in putting up armed resistance to the centralist government of Mexico
Sub-Comandante Marcos
Spokesperson for Zapatista army
1968 Olympics
Sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black-gloved fist (the sign for black power) as National Anthem was played. Event resulted in the two men being removed from US Olympic Track Team.
CTM
The Confederation of Mexican Workers, Mexico's leading trade union
Rurales
The police men of Diaz who kept law and order to the people,,,maintaining stability in the rural areas to help Diaz promote foreign investment in Mexico.
Jose Vasconcelos
The revolution's first education minister, best known for having invited Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco to paint their murals in several government buildings in early 1920's. Raza Cosmica (Vasconcelos' vision of mestizo Mexico.
Zapatista Rebellion
They represent Amerindians that felt disaffected from the more prosperous Mestizo populations of cities in the center of the country. The Zapatista Uprising that began in 1994 was based in the southern state of Chiapas. The Vicente Fox administration made some attempts to incorporate Zapatistas into the political system. Even though the group has not officially called off its rebellion, the federal government currently supplies electricity and water to the villages the Zapatistas still control. Their leader is Subcommandante Marcos, who always wears a ski mask when interviewed.
Plan de Iguala
This called for a constitutional monarchy, maintaining the rights and lands for the Catholic Church, and equality between the criollos and peninsulars.
Jose Guadelupe Posada
a Mexican political litographist who used relief printing to produce popular illustrations. His work has influenced numerous Latin American artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and social engagement
Porfirio Diaz
a dictator who dominated Mexico, permitted foriegn companies to develop natural resources and had allowed landowners to buy much of the countries land from poor peasants
Ignacio Allende
a mexican captain in the spanish army who sympathized with the independence movement and covertly joined the queretaro independence. he eventually assumed control of the rebellion in its early stages, but was captured and executed for treason
Antiono Lopez de Santa Anna
a military captain and was elected president in 1833, known for his efforts in staving off Spain's attempt to recapture the countrytried to crush the Texas revolt and who lost battles to Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War (1795-1876)
Creelman Interview
an interview between an American journalist and Porfirio Diaz in which Diaz stated he would not run for reelection in 1910 to allow new leadership for Mexico, a promise he did not keep and that in part led to the Mexican Revolution
Miguel de la Madrid
began his sexenio with all economic problems before him, began dramatic reform program that reflected values of new tecnico leaders, etc.
Ethnocentrism
belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group
Daniel Colosio
by Pres. Carlos Salinas de Gortari as his handpicked successor, making him the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate and the odds-on favourite to win the August 1994 elections.In 1992 Colosio headed the newly created Social Development Secretariat (Sedesol), a program designed to address poverty. His promises of social reform, however, did not prevent the January 1994 uprising in the state of Chiapas, one of the chief beneficiaries of Sedesol. While campaigning as a man of the people and one dedicated to democracy, Colosio appeared without the protection of bodyguards. As a result, he proved an easy target for the assassin who gunned him down at a campaign rally.
Anglo Americans in Texas
colonization in Mexican Texas took place between 1821 and 1835. Spain had first opened Texas to Anglo-Americans in 1820, less than one year before Mexico achieved its independence
Francisco I. Madero
decided to oppose Diaz during 1910 election, from wealthy family from Coahuila, took reformist platform and was supported by millions of mexicans, Diaz delt with him in the usual way and rigged the election, moved to texas after unleashing "Plan de San Luis Potosi". When diaz stepped down, he took presidency
Mexican Renaissance
e Mexican muralism movement between 1920 and 1950. The phrase was first used in Idols behind Altars by Anita Brenner, with Jean Charlot.
Comandante Ramona
eading women's rights activist, helping write the "Revolutionary Law on Women" in 1993.Tzotzil female guerilla and activist.She was closely associated with Mexico's Subcomandante Marcos when he launched his Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, Mexico in 1994.Ramona led the rebels into the town of San Cristobal de las Casas on New Year's Day 1994 demanding indigenous rights for the people of Chiapas while protesting the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which came into effect that day. The EZLN in their efforts called for land, jobs, housing, food, healthcare, justice, and democracy, while demanding that an end be put to the hundreds of years of exploitation and marginalization of indigenous peoples and peasants of Chiapas
Constitution of 1824
established that Mexico would be a federal republic, and no longer a monarchy. A republic is a representative system of government, in which authority rests in the hands of the people, who elect representatives to act on their political behalf. The concept of a federal republic meant that the central government would have power to make laws, but that implementation and enforcement would occur at the state level. From this restriction of federal power and elevation of state power, we see that Mexico still valued its regional identities very greatly, and that they were a little wary of federal power after years of strong central governments (empires and monarchs). The Constitution of 1824 goes on to explain that the government will be divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch made laws, the judicial branch interpreted them, and the executive branch implemented them. The executive leader of this new republic was to be the president, who could only serve for one term before taking off at least four years before running again. This was the first time that Mexico had ever had a president. The first person to hold that office was an independence hero named Guadalupe Victoria. The Constitution of 1824 takes great efforts to explain that Mexico will have a state religion. Neither the separation of church and state nor the freedom of religion, like the U.S. is used to, are part of this document. Roman Catholicism was designated as the only religion of Mexico, financially and politically supported by the government. The constitution also stated that the government would ''prohibit the exercise of any other'' religion. That's something very unique to this constitution, and Mexico's ideas of government at this time. Freedom of religion was introduced later in the 19th century.
Bishop Samuel Ruiz
his support for EZLN principles of fighting injustice angered the government, which accused him of preaching a "theology of violence." (In 1997 he survived an attempt on his life by pro-government assassins.) In 1993 the Vatican, which feared that Ruiz had strayed from his mission of persuading the Maya to shed their ancient ways and adopt Roman Catholicism, asked for his resignation. Ruiz received the support of numerous Mexican clerics, however, and he remained bishop until mandatory retirement at age 75 forced him to step down. Ruiz was the recipient in 2000 of UNESCO's International Simón Bolivar Prize for "contributing to the freedom, independence, and dignity of peoples and to the strengthening of a new international economic, social, and cultural order."
Plan de San Luis Potosi
in the form of "letter from jail", called for "free suffrage and no re-election", made reference to restoring amerindian lands, decried education, and enslavement of Yaqui Indians; not major blueprind since it didn't really amount to anything, but it gave mexicans hope. called for arms, rallying mexicans to overthrow diaz. a number of movements answered the call including Pascual Orozco, and Emiliano Zapata. However, when Orozco and Villa aimed to take Cuidad Juarez, Madero tried to call it off but was ignored. Orozco took the city, and Diaz stepped down from presidency and moved to paris.
Ley Iglesias
is one of the Reform laws of the Liberal reform in Mexico. Its aim was to regulate the cost of ecclesiastical fees for Catholic sacraments.
Emiliano Zapata
leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, which lasted 10 years; 1910-1920; faught for farmers' rights; gathered army in southern Mexico and urged farmers to join; Liberation Army of the South
Caciques
local village chiefs, the leaders of the other indigenous groups they encountered in the Western Hemisphere territories they occupied. In colonial Mexico, caciques and their families were considered part of the Mexican nobility
censorship
ncludes all types of suppression of free speech in Mexico. This includes all efforts to destroy or obscure information and access to it spanning from the nation's colonial Spanish roots to the present
Octavio Paz
poet, writer, and diplomat, recognized as one of the major Latin American writers of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize
Sanchez Navarro family
possessed 17 estates in Mexico with 16 million acres. Too large to farm efficiently.
Porfiriato
the long period of rule by Mexico's Porfirio Diaz, 1876-1911, often cited as a prime example of neocolonialism in Latin America. Diaz imposed strict political control, encouraged European and US investment, and gave special influence to a group of positivist thinkers called Cientificos.
Soldaderas
women soldiers who cooked, tended the wounded and fought along the men in Mexico
