A_History_of_Modern_Latin _America

A history of modern Latin America 1800 to the present
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Chapter 7: “Latin America in 1790,” by Teresa A. Meade. A History of Modern Latin America: 1800 to the Present. Reviewed by:
This chapter offers a detailed account of the chronologies that saw to the transformation of Mexico from a countryside to the grant city that it is today. The author, Teresa A Meade, explains that from the 1800s, the rural Mexicans got tired of the political inequalities and thus opted for revolutions to acquire the much-needed attention. She says that, ‘the revolution was rooted in the issue of land rights and one of its reason was the objection of the peasantry from their forced removal’ (Meade 2016, 166). This segment indicates that the frustrations of land wrangles were some of the grievances that convulsed the city from 1910. These numerous events were instrumental towards building the first modern social revolution whose effects were far-reaching. The author notes that this period affected everyone but in the end, led to the writing of the 1917 constitution.
On the second paragraph, the author portrays Mexico as an agrarian country suffering from issues of land ownership under the leadership of General Porfilio Diaz. Here, she shows the reader how a dictatorship reign can be detrimental to the subjects. Diaz, though vowed to take care of the individuals of the country, turned out to serve his selfish interests. He had so much social, political, and cultural effect that the period bore his name, porfiliato.

The author goes ahead to depict other leadership factors that angered the citizens thus fueling the tumults. The leader in question, despite the promise that he would modernize the city, engaged in political changes that only benefited his allies. Diaz focused more on export crops like cotton and tobacco that he grew at the expense of local crops. In an endeavor to cater for his mechanization, he continues to grab land from peasants too poor to afford a lawyer. Meade further proves that at this point, Mexicans suffered from unparalleled oppression that further pushed them towards the rebellion.
The author further discusses the defeat of porfiliato to indicate a positive move towards civilization. A class of elites and industrialists were not within the grasp of the leader championed against his foul leadership. The elite based in the urban centers found his corrupt leadership quite offensive and sought to remove him from power. Industrial strikes also came in handy in strengthening the opposition against him, this further weakening him. To indicate the power of the people, the reader depicts how different opposition leaders backed the election of Francisco Madero. In an interesting turn of events, Madero won the elections and allowed peasants to purchase land back. The decision did not augur well with his previous supporters as they felt that he had deeply betrayed them. The incidence further indicates that tumults in the country were endless as favoring one segment of the community dissatisfied the other utterly. He later lost his power and militia, and his government slipped into a deep-seated crisis.
At the end of the chapter, the author then brings the reader to the 1917 constitution to depict that indeed, the Mexican revolutions attained its ultimate goal. The revolutionary transformation, although hurtful to the people, led to the widening of democracy thus being beneficial.
The chapter also leaves a lot to think of. For instance, the author takes a subjective viewpoint where he depicts Mexico as one that only suffered. Instead of focusing on both the positives and the negatives of the activities, he remains biased thus painting a negative picture. It also raises questions regarding the exact role of Madero, and some of the reasons why he faced assassination despite being a good leader. Does it mean that the country lacked democracy?
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Meade, Theresa A. A History of Modern Latin America 1800 to the Present. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley and sons, 2016.