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Questions and Answers
What was the approximate total acreage of Don Luis Terrazas's land holdings?
What was the approximate total acreage of Don Luis Terrazas's land holdings?
Which of the following industries did Don Luis Terrazas NOT own?
Which of the following industries did Don Luis Terrazas NOT own?
What was the name of the largest hacienda owned by Don Luis Terrazas?
What was the name of the largest hacienda owned by Don Luis Terrazas?
What position did Enrique Creel, Don Luis Terrazas's son-in-law, hold in the Mexican government?
What position did Enrique Creel, Don Luis Terrazas's son-in-law, hold in the Mexican government?
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Which of the following individuals was NOT a director of a bank in Chihuahua?
Which of the following individuals was NOT a director of a bank in Chihuahua?
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What was the primary function of the rurales?
What was the primary function of the rurales?
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How did Diaz utilize the rurales to maintain power?
How did Diaz utilize the rurales to maintain power?
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Why were the rurales considered a counterbalance to the army?
Why were the rurales considered a counterbalance to the army?
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What was the purpose of having the rurales guard shipments from the mines?
What was the purpose of having the rurales guard shipments from the mines?
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Which of the following was NOT a duty assigned to the rurales?
Which of the following was NOT a duty assigned to the rurales?
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Study Notes
Modernization in Mexico
- Modernization during the Diaz regime wasn't just about positive economic planning, brute force also played a key role.
- Diaz maintained power (1876-1911) through political maneuvering, intimidation, and force.
- Governments held elections, but they were rigged in favor of local family oligarchs allied with the government.
- The press was heavily censored; journalists critical of the regime faced jail or exile.
- Díaz used political opponents against each other and bribed them to maintain control.
- Key government officials and family members were moved around to limit the power base they could cultivate
- People cooperated with the regime to obtain political favors and economic concessions.
- Díaz's advisors (cientificos) often displayed a racist view of Mexicans (e.g., a white Argentine was considered better than 14 million Mexicans)
- The army and rurales (Díaz's praetorian guard) were crucial to maintaining order.
- Rural police were used to guard shipments from mines, provide local law enforcement (in some cases more brutal than useful).
- The military was used for both political and administrative functions.
- The military received significant funding (1/4 of the total budget in 1900) despite relative peace.
- Many scientific advisors considered indigenous people inferior, and the government policies perpetuated these concepts .
- Scientific advisors did study Mexican realities, and some even called for aristocratic leadership.
- Wealthy landowners (hacendados) were crucial to the Mexican economy, but peasants paid the price for modernization.
- Many haciendas controlled large tracts of land, often acquired through questionable means. Local officials and foreign entrepreneurs took advantage.
- Hacienda owners controlled many aspects of life on their land, often to exploited workers.
- Peasants had few legal rights, and their living conditions were often miserable. Workers often lived in dangerous, cramped conditions.
- Working conditions were generally poor for campesinos, wages were low, and access to legal recourse was limited.
- Local elites often used corrupt means to acquire land, resulting in widespread dissatisfaction.
- Land ownership was concentrated in the hands of a few powerful families, often pushing campesinos to desperate measures.
- The average daily wage and the cost of basic goods increased significantly, significantly hurting the campesino.
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Description
Explore the complexities of modernization in Mexico during the Díaz regime, from its economic policies to the oppressive political tactics used to maintain power. Understand how elections were manipulated, the role of censorship, and the impact of the army and equivalently coercive measures in shaping Mexican society. This quiz delves into both the advancements and the darker aspects of this era.
