Causes of the Mexican Revolution

Cause #1: Porfiriato Dictatorship• Once elected, Porfirio

Diaz removed the “no re-election” clause of the constitution

• “Pan, o palo” was his slogan; “Bread, or stick”

• guardias rurales (countryside police)

• Democracy (electing officials) completely disappeared

• The people had no actual power

• During the Porfiriato, Mexico was viewed as an economic power

• Foreign investors owned 85% of the mining and industrial companies

• “cash” crops such as tobacco and sugar cane replaced subsistence crops (corn, beans, etc.)

• Industrialization and “progress” came at the expense of the poor

Cause #2: Industrialization

Cause #3: Limited personal freedoms• The rurales, as well as

the Bravi (Diaz’ personal police) , exploited and abused the populace

• Citizens were bullied into voting for Diaz

• Freedom of the press and freedom of speech were eliminated

• Economic difficulties reduced personal freedoms

Cause #4: Treatment of the peasantry• Land had been forcibly taken from

the natives

• By 1910, 2% of the Mexican population owned all of the land in Mexico

• The majority of Mexican citizens lived in the countryside (rural areas)

• 78% of the Mexican people were landless peasants (farm workers)

• Most peasants were trapped in debt peonage

• Most haciendas were extremely difficult places to live and treated the peasants as virtual slaves.

Cause #5: Limited access to basic needs

• Sixteen percent of Mexicans were homeless.

• Life expectancy was 30 yrs old.

• In some areas of Mexico, 4 out of every 5 babies died before they reached the age of 1.

• a bar of soap cost 25% of the basic wage.

• Only the wealthy were able to seek an education.