Lesson #37 - The Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution: As you probably picked up from the reading for today, the events in Mexico leading up to, and including, the revolution are very complex. We'll try to make sense of this in two different ways after we take a quick look at some major events.

1821 - Mexico gains independence from Spain

1833 - 1855 - Santa Anna serves four times as president

1835 - Texas settlers revolt against Mexico

1845 - United States annexes Texas

1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War

1861 - Benito Juarez becomes president following civil war

1862 - France sends army, holds power for five years

1876 - 1911 - Porfirio Diaz rules Mexico

1910 - Francisco Madero calls for revolution, Diaz steps down

1911 - Madero becomes president

1913 - General Huerta takes power, Madero assassinated

1915 - Huerta overthrown, Carranza takes power

1917 - Mexico adopts constitution

1919 - Carranza turns on revolutionary allies, ends war

"Campaigning for Power": This seems particularly appropriate right after an election year here. The premise is this: It is early in 1910, and the country of Mexico is planning an election for President of Mexico. You are on the campaign staff for one of the figures below. You need to come up with a single sheet "poster" for your candidate. Obviously, it should make clear something about what he stands for, promises to do, or whatever seems appropriate. You can decide whether to use color, pictures, graphics, etc., but it should be in a form you can show on the projector and/or email to me.

• Benito Juarez (He's dead by then, but he deserves a poster...)
• Porfiro Diaz
• Francisco Madero
• Pancho Villa
• Emiliano Zapata
• Victoriano Huerta
• Venustiano Carranza

Artists Look at the Revolution: We'll try something a little different here with these five artists. All of them were influenced by the events of the Mexican Revolution in one way or another. Your job is to find at least TWO works by "your" artist that you feel show us something meaningful about Mexico from the time that we are studying. Make sure you can readily access these at the projector. You decide what background information we need, etc.

In some cases, I've also listed a particular work by the artist. You don't NEED to make that one of your choices, but they were identified elsewhere as being influenced by the Mexican Revolution.

• Jose Guadalupe Posada - Catrina Calavera
  
• Diego Rivera
• Frida Kahlo
• David Alfaro Siqueiros - Echo of a Scream
  
• Jose Clemente Orozco - Father Miguel Hidalgo