The Mexican Revolution

by Robert Weis

Overview

This volume untangles the multiple threads of the Mexican Revolution to present an accessible introduction to its causes, development, and consequences.

Grounded in a detailed narrative that readers can actively explore through accompanying primary sources, the book also provides a broad view of Mexico’s cultural, political, and social evolution from the 1870s to the 1940s. It traces the promises and perils of export-led modernization during the late nineteenth century, the subsequent explosion of popular discontent, the difficult process of reconstruction, and the lasting legacies. The book emphasizes the promises and shortcomings of liberalism; the demands from workers and peasants; the gender underpinnings of revolutionary principles; new forms of authoritarianism; and how conservative resistance curbed the revolution’s reform agenda.

Featuring a number of learning tools such as a chronology, glossary, and introduction to key historical figures, The Mexican Revolution is a helpful resource for undergraduate students and non-specialist readers interested in Mexico and its major revolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032317144
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Series:	Seminar Studies
Pages:	182
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert Weis is a history professor at the University of Northern Colorado and author of Bakers and Basques: A Social History of Bread in Mexico and For Christ and Country: Militant Catholic Youth in Post-Revolutionary Mexico.

Table of Contents

Introduction  1. The Liberal Dictator  2. Perils of Progress  3. Reformers vs. Mummies  4. The Reluctant Revolutionary  5. Counter-Revolution  6. Civil War  7. Patriarchal Socialism  8. The Revolution in Practice  9. The Politics of Violence  10. The Revolution Becomes a Party  11. The Revolution Subverted  Epilogue: The End of the Revolution

Editorial Reviews

"I know of no better introduction to revolutionary Mexico for undergraduates and general readers (even as it offers new insights to academic “veterans”). Weis's engaging, well-written and compact narrative stretches from 19^th century discontents to the deep, post-revolutionary reforms and enduring political structures forged by 1940. Free from jargon, it artfully synthesizes the author’s vast and deep knowledge of the primary and secondary literature, offering clear, nuanced explanations, vivid examples, rich quotes, and inserts of expected and novel primary documents. All told, The Mexican Revolution gives fresh voice to the iconic leaders and everyday actors that struggled to make Mexico anew."

John Lear, University of Puget Sound, author of Picturing the Proletariat: Artists and Labor in Revolutionary Mexico, 1908-1940

"Weis captures the defining characteristics, achievements, and shortcomings of Latin America's first social revolution. The volume adeptly guides the reader through the complex, often chaotic 1910–40 period, drawing on recent research as well as his own close reading of primary sources. While taking into account structural forces and larger-than-life personalities battling for power, Weis never loses sight of the struggles of everyday Mexicans for dignity, a better life, and (for many) their faith. His attention to gender and women’s uphill fight against patriarchy is especially welcome."

Ben Fallaw, Coby College, author of Religion and State Formation in Postrevolutionary Mexico, 1929-1940

From the Publisher