Question

How did the Mexican Revolution change the way Mexicans understand what it means to be Mexican and what is 'Mexico'?

Answer 1

The Mexican Revolution, which started in 1910, ended Mexico's monarchy and established a federal republic. The long and expensive war included a variety of parties headed by rebels, including Francisco Madero, Pascual Orozco, Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Though many of the changes demanded by rebel forces were formalised by a constitution drafted in 1917, periodic fighting persisted into the 1930s.

The 1917 Constitution, which allowed for the division of church and state, government control of the subsoil, the holding of land by communal communities, the freedom of labour to assemble and strike and several other ambitions, was triggered by the Mexican Revolution. It was a declaration, like most constitutions, about what the delegates wished for Mexicans and not what should be instantly set in effect. Under Carranza, Obregón felt the rate of change was too slow; he revolted and easily assassinated the President. In 1920, Obregón himself was elected president, reformed land ownership in Morelos and Yucatan, and tried to boost the financial condition of Mexico. In 1928, Obregón was re-elected, only to be assassinated before taking office by a member of the pro-Catholic opposition.