Animated History of Mexico
Posted by admin_rcm on Nov 13, 2023 in History
This is a well-done, succinct, and entertaining summary of Mexican history from the time of the Mayans through the Mexican Revolution. The Mexican commentors on the video seem to agree...
For those seeking somewhat more detail, I have provided some additional information keyed to the timeline of the video. I confess that, in order to avoid hours of research, I have compiled most of that information through the use of artificial intelligence. So, if you find some facts in conflict with your existing knowledge (and it is quite possible that you might), if so inclined, please let me know via a comment on this post. In addition to the AI-derived information, I have added some of my own knowledge (limited as it is) that is specific to how some of these events impacted Mazatlan (highlighted in red text). However, it is absolutely not necessary to read through the text below in order to enjoy and benefit from the video.
- 3:21 Mayan Writing. The Mayan civilization had a highly advanced writing system, which was the most advanced writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. The Mayans recorded their history and ritual knowledge in books known as codices (made from the soft inner bark of trees), of which only three uncontested examples remain, the rest having been destroyed by the Spanish. In addition, a great many examples of Mayan texts can be found on stelae and ceramics. The Mayan writing system was in use from about 300 BC to the 16th century when the Spanish Conquistadors mention it in their reports. The Christian priests and missionaries who arrived burned many ‘idols’ and ‘heathen effigies’ – together with unique bark-paper books used for recording calendrical, astronomical and ritual information – to ensure lasting conversion to Christianity.
- 3:41 Mayan Calendar. For countless years, there have been predictions that the world would end on a certain date. The Mayan Long Count calendar, which ends on December 21, 2012, is the most imminent one of these, with some saying that the Mayans predicted the end of the world on that date. While credible scientists eschew such predictions, the Mayan calendar nevertheless bears a closer look. The Maya were brilliant mathematicians and fantastic record keepers, and they didn't have just one calendar. The Mayan Long Count Calendar is a system that counts 5 cycles of time, and it was used to measure hundreds or thousands of years, as opposed to the days, weeks, and months in our modern calendars. The Long Count Calendar was used to measure time well into the future or past. A complete Maya Long Count cycle is 5,125 years long. The Long Count calendar keeps track of the days that have passed since the mythical starting date of the Maya creation, August 11, 3114 BCE. The Mayans believed that everything transforms, and that the only thing which remains is the spirit, in its journey of evolution toward higher levels. They were looking for a guarantee that nothing would change, rather than an ending.
- 4:35 Teotihuacan. is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, 40 kilometers (25 mi) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. The city was established around 200 BCE and reached its peak in the first half of the first millennium CE. The city was abandoned by the 7th century CE and was later occupied by the Aztecs, who gave it its current name. The city is home to several impressive structures, including the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. The Pyramid of the Sun is one of the largest structures in Mesoamerica, standing at 75 meters (246 feet) tall. The Pyramid of the Moon is slightly smaller, standing at 43 meters (141 feet) tall. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent is a smaller structure but is notable for its intricate carvings and murals.
- 5:24 Maya Collapse. The mystery of the Classic Maya collapse is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in archaeology. There are many competing theories, but no definitive answer. Here are some possible causes: 1. Environmental degradation: The Maya may have exhausted the natural resources around them, such as soil, water, and forests, leading to famine, disease, and social unrest. 2. Drought: The Maya depended on rainfall for agriculture and drinking water, but climate change may have reduced the amount and frequency of rain, causing crop failures and water shortages. 3. Overpopulation: The Maya population may have grown beyond the carrying capacity of the land, resulting in increased competition for resources, conflict, and violence. 4. Political instability: The Maya city-states may have engaged in frequent wars and alliances, which disrupted trade, communication, and stability. Some cities may have been attacked and destroyed by rivals or invaders. 5. Cultural change: The Maya may have lost faith in their rulers and gods, who failed to prevent the calamities that befell them. They may have abandoned their cities and temples and adopted new beliefs and lifestyles.
- 6:50 Tenochtitlan. The Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan was built on an island in Lake Texcoco, which was the largest of the five interconnected lakes in the Anáhuac region of Mesoamerica. The lake was a natural lake within the Valley of Mexico and was fed by groundwater aquifers, freshwater springs, and thermal springs. The lake had a surface area of 2,100 square miles (5,400 km²) and a maximum depth of over 500 feet (150 m). The lake was drained after the Spanish conquest to control flooding, and the entire lake basin is now almost completely occupied by Mexico City. [Prior to the arrival of Cortez, the area around Mazatlán was inhabited by indigenous people known as the Totorames. Unlike their renowned inland neighbors, the Aztecs, the Totorames left no pyramids or grand works. Their civilization was gone 200 years before the Spanish arrived.].
- 7:36 Flower Wars. The Aztec flower wars were semi-ritual battles fought between members of the Aztec Triple Alliance and surrounding city-states, such as Tlaxcala, Cholula, and Huejotzingo. The main purposes of these wars were: 1. To obtain human captives for sacrifice to the gods, especially Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun. 2. To demonstrate individual bravery and skill in combat, as well as to train and test warriors. 3. To maintain political and religious stability and legitimacy in the Aztec Empire. 4. To resolve conflicts and disputes without resorting to full-scale warfare. The flower wars were different from typical wars in several ways: They were fought at prearranged sites and dates, often at sacred locations called cuauhtlalli or yaotlalli, they followed a set of conventions and rules, such as using close-range weapons and avoiding killing or injuring non-combatants, they involved fewer soldiers and less casualties than regular wars and, they did not aim to conquer territory or resources, but rather to capture prisoners.
- 8:37 Reconquista. The Reconquista was a centuries-long effort by the Christian kingdoms of Europe to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule. The campaign began in 718 AD and lasted until 1492 AD, when Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Iberia, fell to the Catholic Monarchs. The Reconquista was a complex and multifaceted process that involved military, political, social, and cultural factors. The Christian kingdoms of the north gradually expanded their territories southward, conquering Muslim cities and fortresses, forging alliances with other Christian and Muslim states, and establishing new political and religious institutions. The Reconquista was not a simple conflict between Christians and Muslims, but rather a complex interaction of different cultures, religions, languages, and identities. The legacy of the Reconquista is still felt today in Spain and Latin America, where it has shaped national identities, cultural traditions, and political ideologies.
- 9:07 Conquistadors. The conquistadors were the Spanish explorer-soldiers of the 15th and 16th centuries who sailed beyond and opened trade routes, bringing much of the Americas under the dominion of Spain. They were motivated by religion, gold, and fame, and they established relations and war with the Aztecs. The slow progression of conquest, erection of towns, and cultural dominance over the natives brought more Spanish troops and support to modern-day Mexico. From 1519 to 1521, Hernán Cortés led the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Other conquistadors took over the Inca Empire in Peru as bases. From there, they expanded Spanish rule to northern and parts of what is now the southern and western United States. Conquistadors founded numerous cities, some of them in locations with pre-existing settlements, such as Cusco and Mexico City. [In 1531, the conquistador Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán burned his way through Sinaloa with his private army under the banner of conquest. Guzman laid waste to a broad western belt of Pacific Mexico, but he also founded some towns nearby to today's Mazatlan, including Culiacan.] Spanish conquistadors also made significant explorations into the Amazon Jungle, Patagonia, the interior of North America, and the discovery and exploration of the Pacific Ocean.
- 9:22 Mexico Name. The origin of the name Mexico is still a matter of debate among experts, but several hypotheses have been proposed. One theory suggests that the name Mexico comes from the Nahuatl word "Mēxihco," which means "place in the navel of the moon" or "place in the center of the moon". Another theory suggests that it comes from the Nahuatl word "Mexitli," which means "place in the middle of the century plant". Yet another theory suggests that it comes from the name of a legendary Aztec priest-king called Mexitli. The name Mexico was originally used to refer to the Valley of Mexico around present-day Mexico City, and it became the name of the nation upon independence from Spain in 1821. [Mazatlán was first mentioned in 1602 as the name of a small village, San Juan Bautista de Mazatlán (now called Villa Unión), 30 miles south of present-day Mazatlán. The name Mazatlán means Place of the Deer in the Nahuatl language, tongue of the Aztecs. However, because the Aztec empire never extended this far to the northwest, it is believed that a Nahuatl-speaking interpreter traveling with Guzmán translated the name from the local language.]
- 9:38 Encomienda. Encomienda was a legal system used by the Spanish crown in its American and Philippine colonies to define the status of the indigenous population. It was originally intended to reduce the abuses of forced labor (repartimiento) in the colonies, but in practice, it became a form of enslavement. The encomienda system granted Spanish settlers the right to extract forced labor from indigenous tribal chiefs in return for service to the Spanish crown. The encomenderos were responsible for providing protection, education, and religious instruction to the natives under their control. However, many encomenderos abused their power and subjected the natives to harsh working conditions, disease, and violence. The encomienda system was abolished in 1720 in Mexico and Peru and was replaced by other forms of labor exploitation.
- 10:19 Diseases. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico brought with them many diseases that were not present in the New World, including smallpox, influenza, measles, malaria, chickenpox, and yellow fever. These diseases were spread as part of the Columbian Exchange and led to the deaths of millions of people. The indigenous people of the New World lacked immunity to these diseases and were susceptible to their deadly effects. Smallpox is said to have had the largest impact on the indigenous people of the New World. For example, the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan supposedly underwent a mass spread of smallpox from September to November of 1520. Historians are unsure of how many Aztec people suffered and died from the disease at this time, but their newest tlatoani, Cuitláhuac, died from the disease. The spread of smallpox throughout Tenochtitlan severely weakened the Aztec people and aided the Spanish in their final battle against the city. A new tlatoani, and the final one to rule over the Aztec Empire, Cuauhtémoc, was chosen in February of 1521. The impact of these diseases on indigenous populations is considered one of the greatest tragedies in human history.
- 1o:49 Chichimecca War. The Chichimecca War was a conflict between the Spanish Empire and the Chichimeca Confederation in central Mexico from 1550 to 1590. Here are some key points about this war: 1. The war was triggered by the Spanish expansion into the lands of the Chichimeca, who resisted the colonization and enslavement of their people. 2. The war was the longest and most costly war between the Spanish and the indigenous peoples of New Spain, involving frequent raids, ambushes, and sieges. 3. The war ended with a series of peace treaties that granted the Chichimeca autonomy, land, goods, and protection in exchange for their conversion to Christianity and sedentary lifestyle. 4. The war had a lasting impact on the culture, identity, and language of the Chichimeca, as well as on the Spanish frontier policy and missionary tactics.
- 11:15 Silver Mining. The Zacatecas Mining District is located in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, and is one of the most important silver mining districts in the world. The district has been in operation since the 16th century and has produced over 23 million kilograms (747 million troy ounces) of silver. [During the 1600s precious metal deposits discovered by Spanish explorers began to be more thoroughly exploited in places near Mazatlán like Concordia, Copala, and El Rosario. Given the difficulty of hauling large tonnages east through the mountains or south to the Acapulco harbor, it was recognized that the Mazatlán harbor was an ideal alternative for originating sea-borne shipments back to Spain. Thus began a more accelerated development of the Mazatlán region.] The district is home to several mines, including the Fresnillo Mine, which is one of the largest silver mines in the world. The Zacatecas Silver Corporation is a Canadian company that owns several mining properties in the district, including the Panuco Deposit and the El Cristo Property. The company is focused on exploring and developing high-grade silver and gold deposits in the district.
- 11:58 Mining/Slavery. The Spanish Empire established silver mines in Mexico in the 16th century, which became the world's cheapest sources of silver. The Spanish acquired the silver, minting it into the peso de ocho to then use it as a means of purchase. During that period, the Spanish colonies were the most important customers of the Atlantic slave trade, claiming several thousands in sales. The Spanish Empire was a major recipient of enslaved Africans, with around 22% of the Africans delivered to American shores ending up in the Spanish Empire.
- 12:04 Casta System. The Spanish casta system was a way of classifying people based on their racial ancestry and social status in the colonial era. It had three main groups: Spaniards, Amerindians, and Africans. People of mixed race were given different names depending on their parents' origins, such as mestizo, mulatto, zambo, etc. The casta system was used to justify the exploitation and discrimination of the non-white population by the Spanish elite. It also influenced the culture, identity, and politics of Latin America.
- 12:54 Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic title of Mary associated with a series of apparitions and a venerated image on a cloak. She appeared to the native American Saint Juan Diego in 1531 on Tepeyac Hill, a former worship site for the Aztec goddess Tonantzin. Her basilica in Mexico City is the most-visited Catholic shrine, and the third most-visited sacred site in the world. On December 12, thousands of pilgrims make the most important pilgrimage of the year to honor her.
- 13:29 Day of the Dead. Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. It is a time to honor and remember deceased loved ones by creating altars, or ofrendas, with their favorite foods, drinks, and belongings. The holiday has its roots in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, which believed that death was a natural part of life and that the dead could return to the world of the living for a brief time each year. The holiday is celebrated with colorful parades, music, dancing, and traditional foods such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and sugar skulls.
- 14:05 Napoleonic Spain. Here are some key points about Napoleonic Spain and the Bourbons: 1. Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808 and deposed the Bourbon king Ferdinand VII, replacing him with his brother Joseph Bonaparte. 2. The Spanish people resisted the French occupation and formed guerrilla bands and local juntas, supported by the British and Portuguese allies. ¹ - The Peninsular War lasted until 1814 and was a costly and brutal conflict for both sides, resulting in over a million casualties. 3. The war also sparked the independence movements in Spanish America, as the colonies took advantage of the weakened Spanish authority and the liberal ideas of the Napoleonic era. 5. After Napoleon's defeat, Ferdinand VII was restored to the throne, but he faced opposition from liberals and nationalists who demanded constitutional reforms and autonomy. 6. The Bourbon dynasty continued to rule Spain until 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed after a municipal election.
- 15:30 Mexican War of Independence. The Mexican War of Independence was a series of armed conflicts and political processes that took place between September 16, 1810, and September 27, 1821. It was a revolutionary civil war that resulted in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. The movement was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos, Zambos, and Amerindians who sought independence from Spain. The war had its roots in the crisis of legitimacy of crown rule caused by Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Spain in 1808. The local response was to set up juntas, ruling in the name of the Bourbon monarchy. Delegates in Spain and overseas territories met in Cádiz and drafted the Spanish Constitution of 1812. That constitution sought to create a new governing framework in the absence of the legitimate Spanish monarch. It tried to accommodate the aspirations of American-born Spaniards (criollos) for more local control and equal standing with Peninsular-born Spaniards, known locally as peninsulares. The war resulted in 250,000 to 500,000 casualties. The First Mexican Empire was established after the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba on August 24, 1821.
- 15:51 First Mexican Empire. The First Mexican Empire was a constitutional monarchy that existed from 1822 to 1823, following Mexico's declaration of independence from Spain in 1821. The empire was established under the rule of Agustín de Iturbide, a former military officer who had played a key role in the Mexican War of Independence. The empire was short-lived, as Iturbide was overthrown and exiled in 1823, leading to the establishment of the First Mexican Republic. [Mazatlán seemed to better tolerate the difficult transition from a colony to self-governing country than other regions of Mexico. The city was advantaged by its strategic location on the Pacific coast coupled with a harbor which had a natural configuration ideally suited for marine-based commerce and trade. By the mid-1830's Mazatlán's non-Indian population had greatly increased as many Europeans, primarily German, French, and Spanish, had migrated to Mazatlán seeking entrepreneurial opportunities. Fortunes were made manufacturing and selling needed commodities. The city's seaport was developed to accommodate much increased marine traffic.]
- 16:52 Mexican American War. The Mexican American War was a war between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. The war was caused by the U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico still claimed as its territory, and the dispute over the border between the two countries. The war resulted in the U.S. victory and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ceded most of Mexico's northern territories to the U.S., including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The war had significant consequences for both countries, such as the expansion of slavery in the U.S., the emergence of new political parties and movements, the loss of national identity and sovereignty in Mexico, and the increased migration and cultural exchange between the two regions. [In the early stages of the Mexican-American War, the US formulated a Pacific Coast Campaign, the objective of which was to secure the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, and to blockade/capture west-coast ports of Mexico - especially Mazatlán which was viewed as a major port-of-entry for imported supplies. A series three blockades were imposed on Mazatlán. Upon establishment of the third blockade, the U.S. Navy dispatched a contingent of 700 Marines to invade the city, which was forced to comply with a U.S. demand to surrender. The city was occupied for the next 4 months until the Treaty of Guadelupe Hildago was signed.]
- 17:33 Reform War. The Reform War in Mexico was a civil war between liberals and conservatives from 1858 to 1861 - a result of the liberals' attempt to limit the power of the church and the army. It resulted in a victory for the liberals, who enacted the Constitution of 1857 and the Laws of La Reforma. The war was a precursor to the French intervention and the Second Mexican Empire. [After the Reform War, Mazatlán continued to prosper as a port city, and served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873, with a population of several thousand (status as the Sinaloan capitol ended when the federal government passed a law that forbade state capitals from also acting as ports, and the capitol reverted to Culiacan.) A new age of education, arts, and journalism flourished. Newspapers were established, hotels were built, and restaurants were opened.]
- 18:18 Second Franco-Mexican War. The Second French Intervention in Mexico, also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War, was a military invasion of the Republic of Mexico by the French Empire of Napoleon III, purportedly to force the collection of Mexican debts in conjunction with Great Britain and Spain. The war lasted from December 8, 1861, to June 21, 1867, and resulted in a French victory. The French invasion displaced Juárez's Republican government from the Mexican capital and established a monarchy in Mexico under Archduke Maximilian. However, the Second Mexican Empire collapsed within a few years due to material aid from the United States, whose four-year civil war ended in 1865, invigorating the Republican fight against the regime of Maximilian. Maximilian and two Mexican generals were executed by firing squad on June 19, 1867, ending this period of Mexican history. [Starting in the first years of the 1860s, the French and British navies had been consistently harassing merchant shipping flowing through the Mazatlán harbor. After an initial reconnoitering of the city in January 1863, for the next year and a half the French navy was content with disrupting merchant traffic to Mazatlán, and left the city to pursue what trade it could generate under those circumstances. That calculated neglect by the French ended on March 26, 1864, when the Frigate La Cordelière unexpectedly appeared in the Bay of Puerto Viejo (just north and west of today's Centro Historico) and began to bombard the fortifications of the port. By then, a strategy for defending the city against anticipated French incursions had been developed by Colonel Sanchez Ochoa, a veteran of the ongoing war and cannon fire from the city was effective in damaging the La Cordelière. After repairing the ship, the French renewed their efforts to take the port by dispatching 14 French landing craft toward the beach supported by naval cannon fire. Eleven landing craft eluded Mexican cannon fire and were able to establish a beachhead in the area north of the city now referred to as the Golden Zone. Colonel Ochoa immediately responded by dispatching his troops to attack the French marines. After a brief but intense firefight resulting in casualties on both sides, the marines were turned back and forced to re-board their landing craft and return to the La Cordelière. Another attempt at bombarding the city from offshore also failed, and under cover of darkness on the early morning of February 2nd, the La Cordelière and her escorts departed the Bay of Mazatlán. By forgoing another landing attempt the French had failed to occupy the port. Every year during the Mazatlán Carnaval, the city celebrates the victory of Colonel Ochoa and his forces with a spectacular display of fireworks simulating the cannon fire exchanged in the battle. Unfortunately, it was a pyrrhic Republican victory that was destined to be short-lived. For the next seven months, the La Cordelière and other warships imposed a continuous blockade on the Mazatlán port. The resulting economic hardships served to bring about the French's hoped-for internal dissent among Mazatlán's political factions that could not be achieved by the bombardment alone. Casualties among dissenting forces within the city shocked the Mazatlecos and weakened their resolve to oppose the French invasion. After surrounding the city with French forces on the landward side and resuming bombardment from the sea, the Sinaloa Governor was forced to offer the formal surrender of Mazatlán and its port, resulting in the imposition of martial law by the French. Following the occupation, Mexican Republican forces that had retreated to the west began conducting guerrilla operations against the French occupiers over the next two years. By then the U.S. had disentangled itself from the Civil War and began finding ways to support the Republicans. Ironically, the U.S. Navy proceeded to implement a blockade against the Mazatlán port in order to prevent the French occupiers from being resupplied. This turnabout, coupled with military threats in Europe from Prussa as well as the possibility of a revolution in France, caused Napoleon III to quietly begin withdrawing his troops from Mexico. On November 13, 1866, pressing his newly acquired advantages, General Ramón Corona and the French agreed to terms for the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Mazatlán. At noon, the Europeans boarded three men-of-war, Rhin, Marie, and Talisman and departed, ending French colonial rule of the city.]
- 18:23 Pastry War. The Pastry War, also known as the First French Intervention in Mexico, was a brief conflict between France and Mexico from November 1838 to March 1839. The war began when a French pastry chef claimed that Mexican officers had looted his shop in Tacubaya in 1832, and demanded reparations for the damage. The French government, led by King Louis-Philippe I, demanded that Mexico pay 600,000 pesos in damages to French citizens who had suffered losses due to unrest in Mexico. When Mexico refused to pay, France blockaded some Mexican ports and captured the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa in Veracruz. The conflict ended in March 1839 with a British-brokered peace agreement.
- 18:41 Battle of Puebla. The Battle of Puebla was a military engagement that took place on May 5, 1862, near Puebla during the Second French intervention in Mexico. The Mexican army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French forces under the command of General Charles de Lorencez. The battle is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo in Mexico and the United States as a symbol of Mexican resistance to foreign aggression. The French invasion of Mexico was part of a larger strategy by Napoleon III to establish a French satellite state in Mexico and to gain leverage against the United States during the American Civil War. The Mexican victory at Puebla was a morale boost for the Mexican people and a setback for the French, who eventually captured Mexico City in 1863, and established the Second Mexican Empire under Maximilian I.
- 19:14 Porfiriato. The Porfiriato era was a period of Mexican history when Porfirio Díaz ruled the country as a dictator from 1876 to 1911. Díaz promoted economic growth, foreign investment, and modernization, but also suppressed political and social dissent. He created a political machine that controlled the elections, the army, the press, and the judiciary. As a result, he faced opposition from liberals, revolutionaries, workers, peasants, and indigenous groups who demanded democracy, land reform, and social justice. Díaz was forced to resign in 1911 after the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution, which challenged his regime and its legacy. [Mazatlán accrued significant benefits from Diaz's economic policies. Many of the migrants, especially those from Asian countries, arrived at the Mazatlán port. In addition, the ongoing gold rush in California was drawing prospectors from the U.S. east coast who disembarked at Mexican ports in the Gulf of Mexico and then traveled across country to Mazatlán, where they embarked on ships headed north to the gold fields. Mazatlán greatly benefited from the money spent as these travelers passed through the city. The city's infrastructure was also greatly enhanced. City-wide electrical and water systems were constructed, the El Faro lighthouse, the Mercado Pino Suarez, and the Teatro Rubio were built, the Pacifico Brewery started up, and the Mazatlán Carnaval was institutionalized.]
- 19:45 Mexican Revolution. The Mexican Revolution was a complex and violent struggle that lasted from 1910 to 1920. It started as a rebellion against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz, who had ruled Mexico for 34 years. It involved different factions and leaders, such as Francisco Madero, Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, and Venustiano Carranza, who fought for different social and political goals. The revolution ended with the establishment of a constitutional republic and the enactment of the Mexican Constitution of 1917, which included social reforms and land redistribution, and had a lasting impact on the culture, identity, and politics of Mexico and Latin America. [Mazatlán's participation in the Revolution dates back to 1909. Franciso Madero visited the city in the early stages of his campaign for the Mexican presidency against Porfirio Diaz. While there, he formed anti-reelection clubs to support his campaign. In early 1911, after Modero had assumed the presidency and assembled the Constitutionist army, armed conflict broke out in El Quelite during the February Mazatlán Carnaval. From then on through 1914, revolutionaries besieged the port numerous times, and because it was the most important port on the Pacific coast, the Federals fiercely defended it. Many casualties were incurred, including uncommitted civilians who were caught up in the conflicts. One of the key players in the conflict on the revolutionary (Constitutionalist) side in opposition to the Federalists was General Alvaro Obregon. By early April 1914 Obregon's forces had succeeded in surrounding the city on the landward side. Lacking sufficient naval assets to impose a blockade of the port, the strategy was to pressure the citizens to oppose the Federalist forces by cutting off food and, most importantly, water supplies flowing from east of city. As the landward siege continued, Mazatlecos looted local warehouses and merchant's stores in search of food. Abandoned public and private wells were reopened, and new trench wells were dug in desperate attempts to obtain water that had been supplied by wells and storage tanks now under the control of the Constitutionists. In addition to targeting the patience of the Mazatlecos with the siege, Obregon had another target in mind - the occupying Federalist's troops and facilities. Using aircraft seized from the Federalist air force, a mission to bomb the Federalist troops and facilities in Mazatlán was conducted. After missing the target, the only significant result was giving Mazatlán the dubious distinction of being only the second city in the world to suffer bombardment from an airplane. Subsequently, on August 4, 1914, General Ramon Iturbe, whom Obregon had put in charge of enforcing the siege, initiated a frontal assault on the beleaguered Federalist forces who were demoralized by the gains being made by the Constitutionalists throughout Mexico, and the opposition of much of the Mazatleco population owing to the hardships endured during the blockade. After the fighting commenced in the vicinity of Olas Altas beach, the rebel forces quickly advanced through the city. By August 9, the Federalists had been driven back into the Centro area and were basically surrounded in all directions. At the end of the day the rebels were in full control and the opposing troops (mostly officers and civilian sympathizers) were retreating along a temporary pier to embark on rescue boats and transit to awaiting Federalist gunboats.]
- 20:59 Cristero War. The Cristero War was a religious conflict between the Mexican government and Catholic rebels from 1926 to 1929, and was a result of the anti-clerical laws of President Plutarco Elías Calles that restricted the rights and activities of the Church. The violent struggle that involved guerrilla warfare, massacres, atrocities, and foreign intervention was resolved by a peace treaty that granted some concessions to the Church and the Cristeros.
- 21:03 Institutional Revolutionary Party. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) is a political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 and held uninterrupted power in the country for 71 years, from 1929 to 2000, first as the National Revolutionary Party (PNR), then as the Party of the Mexican Revolution (PRM) and finally as the PRI beginning in 1946. Throughout the seven decades that the PRI governed Mexico, the party used a combination of corporatism, co-option, and repression to hold power, while often resorting to electoral fraud. In particular, the presidential elections of 1940, 1952, and 1988 were characterized by massive irregularities and fraudulent practices denounced by both domestic and international observers. Although during the early decades of PRI rule Mexico benefited from an economic boom which improved the quality of life of most people and guaranteed political and social stability, issues such as inequality, corruption, and the lack of democracy and political freedoms cultivated growing opposition against the PRI, culminating in the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre in which the Army killed hundreds of unarmed student demonstrators.