Causes of the Mexican Revolution Notes

Background

1. By 1910, Mexico appeared stable and prosperous under Porfirio Díaz, who had ruled almost continuously since 1876.
2. Beneath the surface, however, the Porfiriato had created deep divisions. Modernization and foreign investment enriched a small elite while displacing peasants, marginalizing Indigenous communities, and alienating the middle class.
3. Díaz’s refusal to allow political change turned discontent into open rebellion.

Social Causes

1. Landlessness and Rural Inequality
   1. By 1910, over 90% of rural families owned no land. The Ley de Deslinde (1894) allowed private companies and elites to seize “vacant” lands, destroying communal (ejido) systems.
2. Indigenous Displacement
   1. Indigenous peoples lost ancestral territories and were forced into debt peonage on haciendas or mines, creating resentment that fueled the revolution.
3. Urban Labor Strain
   1. Industrialization brought harsh working conditions in factories and mines, often under foreign ownership, with long hours and minimal pay.
4. Social Mobility Blocked
   1. A small elite monopolized wealth and opportunity; education and reform did not reach the rural poor, widening class divisions.
5. Peasant Radicalization
   1. Figures like Emiliano Zapata mobilized rural communities under slogans such as “Tierra y Libertad” (“Land and Liberty”), demanding restitution of land and justice.

Economic Causes

1. Foreign Economic Dominance
   1. By 1910, over 40% of Mexico’s economy (especially mining, oil, and railroads) was foreign-owned, mainly by the U.S., Britain, and France.
2. Uneven Modernization
   1. Industrialization and rail expansion benefited elites and foreign investors but bypassed rural Mexico.
3. Falling Real Wages
   1. Inflation and exploitation reduced living standards for workers even as national production soared.