History 307 - Latin America – October 20, 2003

 Review: The Painful Birth of a New America: Mexico

 

I.      Two Enigmas about Latin America:

A.       Why does such a rich land have so many poor people?

B.       Why did the Wars of Liberation – with their stress on both liberal personal freedoms and national independence – not lead to liberation?

C.       Example:  MEXICO’s twists on turns on the way to independence

 

II.   TWIST: MEXICO HAS ALL THE MANY CONTRADICTIONS & TENSIONS THAT LED TO THE HUGE EXPLOSION IN THE EARLY 1800S:

A.       Creoles v. Peninsulares; Elites v. Peons; Frustrated Mestizos; Non-Indians v. Indians

B.       Economy keyed to Spain’s needs, not Mexicos

 

III. TWIST: 1810 – FR. HIDALGO & FR. MORELOS LEAD MASS INDIAN REBELLION  (“Grito” of Dolores)

 

IV.  TURN: 1815 - MEXICAN CONSERVATIVE ELITES VIOLENTLY SUPPRESS THE INDIAN REBELLION; VOW THEIR LOYALTY TO SPANISH EMPIRE

 

V.      TWIST: 1820 – SPAIN’S KING FERNANDO VII PROMISES “LIBERAL” REFORMS (CIVIL RIGHTS; ELECTIONS; RULE BY LAW; SOME LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY) – AND MEXICAN CONSERVATIVE ELITES ARE HORRIFIED!

 

VI.  TURN: 1822 – MEXICO’S CONSERVATIVE ELITES PROCLAIM INDEPENDENCE – IN ORDER TO AVOID LIBERAL REFORMS!  AUGUSTIN DE ITURBIDE BECOMES “EMPEROR AUGUSTIN” AND VOWS TO SUPPRESS ANY “LIBERAL” IDEAS

 

VII. TWIST: 1824 – CIVIL WAR – LIBEALS v. CONSERVATIVES; ITURBIDE KILLED

 

VIII. TURN: 1824 – MILITARY DICTATOR EMERGES – SANTA ANNA – TRIES TO RESTORE CONSERVATIVE ORDER, BUT ONLY PROVOKES MORE REBELLION

 

IX.  TWIST: 1836 – TEXAS REBELS & SECEDES; SANTA ANNA TRIES TO RESTORE ORDER; BATTLE OF THE ALAMO; SANTA ANNA DEFEATED; TEXAS BECOMES INDEPENDENT; LATER JOINS USA

 

X.     TURN: 1846-48 – DISASTROUS US-MEXICAN WAR; TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO

 

XI.  TWIST: 1847 – 1855: “CASTE WAR” – MAYAN INDIAN REBELLION

 

XII. TURN: 1857 – 1860: THREE-YEAR CIVIL WAR; MEXICO IN CHAOS

 

XIII. TWIST: 1862-67: FRENCH INTERVENTION; MAXIMILLIAN & CARLOTTA

 

XIV. TURN: 1867: BENITO JUAREZ LEADS POPULAR REBELLION AGAINST FRENCH

 

XV. TWIST: 1867 – 1876 – “RESTORED REPUBLIC” – JUAREZ AND BEGINNINGS OF DEMOCRACY

 

XVI. TURN: 1876 – 1911 – PORFIRIO DIAZ ESTABLISHES DICTATORSHIP – PROMISES BOTH “PROGRESS” AND “ORDER”

 

Queens University of Charlotte  1900 Selwyn Avenue  Charlotte, NC  28274
Modified by:  H.  Kamerling