Colonization to 20th Century Part 3

welcome back in our previous lessons we looked at

colonization

through the 1800s now we will go into the 1900s and learn about the mexican revolution that began in 1910 and lasted until 1920. the mexican revolution is perhaps the most important event in the history of mexico that radically transformed his society and culture and continues to influence politics today the mexican revolution was fought to overthrow the presidency of porfirio diaz porfirio diaz was known for his success in the battle of puebla when mexico defeated the french this is what which is celebrated on cinco de mayo the deal to overthrow president benito juárez the first indigenous president of mexico but failed later succeeded with the next president porfirio diaz was a tyrant and dictator who rewarded his rich followers by oppressing the poor and repressing opposition through violence across the country the wealthy stole land from indigenous communities to use for profit and by judges, created laws to make this possible, as well as working closely with US investors, US interests US imperialist capitalists were favored over the Mexican people, public lands were privatized and sold cheaply to US corporations as wealthier Americans influenced the government and military.

Through bribes, stocks, and vacations, for example, land that had been in the hands of an Indian group for generations would be taken through the court system and then sold to wealthy American farm corporations or ranchers, leaving Indians with no choice but to work for the companies that displaced them. He also reestablished connections with the European powers. There was a massive economic boom during his presidency, but it only benefited the top 1 percent. Politicians created policies that benefited them and their rich friends. The working conditions were terrible. The hacienda system made farm workers dependent on the boss for everything.

Living place. food education for their children and this system was abused for the benefit of wealthy landowners in the sacrifice of workers porfirio diaz encouraged social contempt for the poor and racism against indigenous peoples many neoliberal conservatives focus on their construction of railways schools infrastructure as well as his development of an oil and mining industry, however, he did so at the expense of Mexico's indigenous communities, the poor, and natural resources, for example, although he built schools, they were only available to the top 10 percent , the bottom 90 percent or the poor were left without education, although indigenous communities were hardest hit, the middle class was also unhappy with their inability to benefit from economic growth and move up the socioeconomic ladder, the fact that both the poor as the middle class felt oppressed it would give power to the revolution, they all came together against the elite that made it so successful after the first few years, however, factions broke out which led to conflicts between the poor and the middle class, as they each social class had its own interests, was fighting for women, they were a great reason for the success of the revolution. thousands of women fought during the revolution as solaveiras soldaderas often called adelitas were women in the military who

part

icipated in the conflict of the mexican revolution from commanding officers to combatants and camp followers francisco pancho villa was a general in the war mainly fighting in the north though primarily concerned with his own success, fame and land ownership, was a major hero in the war known to be extremely violent.

Later, the United States labeled him a bandit when he robbed the American railroads to finance his campaign and stop the American aid that was being sent to the dictator Porfirio Diaz. General Emiliano Zapata was a general who fought in the south, unlike Villa, who was landowner and focused on individual glory sabbath was an indigenous leader who focused on the rights of indigenous communities and the poor he created the zapatistas who would later become a community that continues to fight mexico for indigenous sovereignty the sabbath are now world leaders in the fight against capitalism US imperialism environmental destruction and violence against women Sabbatarians are led primarily by women and have created programs and academic resources for the global struggle of indigenous peoples although united from the beginning, these two men and their supporters They later split up and sometimes fought each other for their own goals, with Zazata continuing to focus on indigenous rights and Banchovia more interested in maintaining the status quo of a centralized Mexican government that oppressed indigenous people. populations prior to the 1910 Mexican revolution that overthrew Porfirio Díaz most land was owned by a single elite ruling class legally there was no slavery or serfdom however those with large debts native or peasant wage laborers were essentially slaves of debt land a small percentage of wealthy landowners owned most of the country's farmland with so many people brutally suppressed revolts and revolution were common in mexico the mexican revolution led to restitution of communal land or property land from a community instead of private property many indigenous communities recovered their ancestral lands back to them mainly because of the role of emiliano zapata and the thousands of indigenous people who fought in the revolution to reverse hundreds of years of indigenous oppression caused by

colonization

and then because of mexico's insistence on maintaining its connection to europe the 1917 constitution created progressive reforms in education, land use and medicine that reflected socialist ideals, successfully expanded mexican wealth while honoring its identity, this Reform continued until the 1970s and 1980s, when American neoliberal ideas began to drive changes that benefited wealthy international corporations and conglomerates at the expense of indigenous peoples. people and the poor a practice that continues to this day due to the mexican revolution mexico provided universal education to all its residents years before the united states passed these laws did you know that the united states is the only developed country in the world without universal education? health care mexico has had universal health care since the revolution the mexican revolution led to the creation of a new national identity more proud of its indigenous identity reflecting its ancient past and creating new mexican ideas instead of reproducing european ideals art played a very important role Important in the creation of this new national identity, the government became an ally of many of Mexico City's intellectuals and artists and commissioned murals for public buildings to reinforce their political messages, including those that emphasized Mexican rather than European themes.

The great Mexican muralists of the post-revolution developed with mural painting the concept of public art, an art to be seen by the masses in the main public buildings of the time and vindicating indigenous ideas about art as public instead of private, well the artists played a fundamental role in the construction of a national identity its murals were inspired by the visual remains of the catholic conquistadors and the wall paintings of the aztec cultures in an artistic vocabulary that united the complex histories of the mexican people art served a purpose to establish unrestricted public dialogue and help disseminate information to fight inequalities in this mural by diego rivera we see the history of mexico from left to right the mural moves through history from the indigenous past to the working class and the peasants and ends with modern industrial society and

20th

century

technology diego rivera's murals highlight indigenous themes while criticizing american capitalism imperialism and the damaging effects of modern technology and industrialization frida kahlo was another important artist during this time Unlike her husband Diego Rivera, who focused on the murals that Frida painted primarily on canvas, though Kalo's dreamlike approach to art brought the inner focus of her contemporaries to a more personal level, her extravagant attire and intimate expressions served a political purpose through her fashion she rejected the european clothing that had become predominant in mexico and her description of her own physical trauma served as a reflection of the suffering she saw in her country frida kahlo is also known as an important feminist who lives her life freely in a time when women were tightly controlled by a patriarchal society, few know that she was also bisexual, she was with both men and women during her open marriage to diego rivera in the next and final lesson of this series you will look at mexican americans in the

20th

century

in the United States