Mexico existed as New Spain under Spanish rule for nearly 300 years. Finally, in the early 1800s, the people of European ancestry born in New Spain started calling for a revolution. They were tired of coming in second to the people born in Spain and they wanted to have the same privileges. In 1810, a priest named Miguel Hidalgo started a rebellion against the Spanish rule. After a long war for Independence, the nation of Mexico was established in 1821.
This new nation however was not democratic. That process took another hundred years. On the road to democracy, the people in Mexico faced many political struggles and even a civil war. The country was often ruled by military leaders and dictators, but the people wanted a voice in their government. They wanted democracy.
Because of Mexico’s independence, by the end of the 1800s the economy was large enough to get help from other countries. This foreign money helped build railroads, expand the agricultural industry, and start the mining for oil. These advances were meant to modernize the country, however they really just helped wealthy Mexicans stay wealthy. The gap between the richest and the poorest grew even wider.
In 1910, the Mexican Revolution was started by people of the lower and middle classes. They fought against a military dictator who was controlling the land and not making it easy for people to make a living wage. When the revolution ended in 1920, Mexico had a president and a constitution. That democratic republic remains in place in Mexico today. The country is led by an elected president and congress, just like in the United States. In 2000, Vicente Fox was the first president elected from a different political party-- opening up the democratic landscape to all kinds of politicians.
Why do you think it was important for the people of Mexico to fight to achieve democracy?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| You might have answered that people in Mexico wanted democracy because the dictators who ruled the country after independence from Spain did not treat all citizens fairly. People didn’t have equal rights or fair access to land. | |
