What did the Mexican Revolution achieve?

Between 1910-1980’s 259,350,000 acres out of 485,000,000 was re-distributed to small holders. This eliminated the existence of a landowning class and rurales, however, can also be seen as a failure in the long term as many peasants now owned land that was not large enough to provide food to feed their families and the country remained reliant on foreign imports. Salinas summed up this problem in his third state of the nation speech.

‘The land distribution established more than fifty years ago brought justice to   the countryside. But to attempt in the present circumstances to continue along the path then followed no longer signifies prosperity for the country or justice; today it is unproductive and impoverishing’

        The revolution increased political opposition such as the Sonoran Dynasty, run by Cuadillos in the North-West state of Sonora. They embarked on a mission to make the political system more inclusive by educating the peasants in rural areas by building schools to increase literacy and political awareness, helping them to increase their support.  Increased facilities for education were another of the achievements, in that a nationwide effort was made to educate and make people in rural areas literate through the building of schools.  Avila Camacho began an Education Programme, encouraging private enterprise, even passing a law to force all literate people to teach at least one illiterate person.  Education in schools brought together teachers, politicians and social reformers making a whole new culture among the newly educated, encouraging them to think for themselves. Despite this measure the drive soon died down and although one of the most modern universities in the world, New University City, was built in 1952, most of the country still remained illiterate many years after.

        Political stability was created and maintained successfully without force with free elections, and one party, Partido de Accion Nacional, remained in power until July 2000.  The political system was opened up to more people, with greater participation especially from those not in the previous ruling elite such as Catholics, who were previously banned from forming political parties, as shown by the success of the Partido Catolico Nacional (PCN). From 1920 onwards Mexico had its own government serving its own people and the two social poles that had existed previously were replaced by a healthy balance between dictatorship and a traditional democracy.

        Economic growth was achieved throughout, and after the revolution with relatively little foreign involvement due to Mexico’s part in World War Two, exporting supplies to America.  Roosevelt and Avila Camacho created the Mexican-American commission for economic cooperation in 1943.  Factories were built, providing jobs and producing more profit, this industrialisation gave Mexico aims of being self sufficient in food supplies and supplying to other Latin American countries.  It also brought them closer to the US.  Mexico’s textile industry was self sufficient and its food processing, chemical, beer and cement industries were all growing rapidly. Latin America’s first steel plant was built in Monterrey in 1930.  This increased the national income by three times, creating a growing number of middle class and instead of going from semi-feudal to socialism, capitalism seemed to be emerging, especially with the re-introduction of private landowning. American and foreign investment returned and banks such as CityBank and J.P Morgan were dominant once again.  Post war Mexico was blooming and Aleman announced public work programmes, however there was no evidence to suggest that the majority of the population was reaping any rewards of the achievements, and they proved to be short lived as the country’s National debt had risen massively to 29 billion in 1977 and Mexico was reliant once again on the US for financial support.  Mexico was on the verge of economic collapse in 1982 under Miguel de la Madrid as the revolution had stopped, the population was growing rapidly and real wages were going down as inflation increased.  Economic stagnation continued and the difference in the average wage income between Americans and Mexicans, in Mexico increased. National utilities such as Mexico’s only telephone company and banks were also privatised and existing economic problems were solved by joining the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) under Salinas in 1993.  However, the market collapsed in 1994 and Mexico had to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  The value of the Peso fell well below the dollar creating a huge backlash on Mexican workers whose wages were falling in value due to rising inflation, rapidly rising interest rates and an exploding population.  There was also a rising crime rate, economic hardship and poverty and increasing migration to the US.

        Living conditions improved and some social reform was achieved by the Revolution as people’s food intake had doubled between 1910 and 1970, the infant mortality rate had gone down from 30 out of 100, to around 5 and life expectancy had risen from 36 in 1930 to 70 in 1990.  The minimum wage was established in 1912 by the Madero administration and a six day week was agreed with fifteen days holiday per year.  Indian landownership had increased, corporal punishment was abolished, people no longer had to pay church fees and pay rates were common for certain jobs.  Also workers had gained more power by forming unions who became powerful and were sometimes able to take over companies that they wanted to run such as Jalapa Power and Light Company.  They were helping themselves exercising self-management, showing new confidence and ability in the Mexican workers where previously they had simply worked for American owners.

On the other hand housing conditions were terrible particularly in rural areas and pollution in the cities was causing many health problems. City Barrio, Ciudad Nezahualcoyoh had a population of 3 million and was the world’s largest slum.  Only a third of people had running water in their homes, unemployment was rocketing and in 1987 40 percent of the population were suffering from malnutrition.

        Mexican National identity and culture blossomed after the Revolution, previously the people had looked to Europe for inspiration on art and architecture but since World War One, Europe began to appear less civilised and people began to look within Mexico itself for ideas.  Traditional muralism was continued and in Mexico City in 1985 there were 20 daily newspapers and 250 periodicals, museums, art galleries and television and film being produced. After the war artists such as Octivio Paz began looking beyond Mexico and using influences from elsewhere and muralism was dropped in favour of abstract expressionism and op art.  In the 1970’s-80’s iconoclastic art was produced and when a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe with Marilyn Monroe’s head was revealed, not many people took much notice, showing the change in attitudes since the Revolution, when previously such a thing would have caused an out cry. Attitudes towards contraception also showed the more relaxed attitude towards religion as, despite being banned by the Catholic Church, due to the high population, health centres providing contraception were very successful and the birth rate fell from 3.2 to 1.9 per cent per year.

        Mexico was still a rural society after the Revolution with 80 per cent living outside the cities but people could no longer afford to live off the land so many were moving into towns, despite wishing to re-create Maya and Aztec culture, American influence crept back in but this time in the welcome form of sports.  Clothing, restaurants and nightclubs were also an obvious sign of American influence and there was also a western influence on the language, with Anglicisims.  Halloween was also celebrated instead of the traditional ‘day of the dead’ and Scotch whisky, supermarkets and cars also began to appear post Revolution.  Even the local street entertainment for workers, such as the Raree, adopted Charlie Chaplain as part of their act.  

         ‘The main achievement was the cultural development as it was the cultural politics that brought stability from 1940-1993’, more or less, and also industrialisation as without this Mexico would not have progressed in the way that it did.  ‘Informal social change; unplanned and unlegislated was more significant than formal change –discussed, codified sometimes interpreted’ such as the art and political thinking.  It was a revolution in the fact that it more or less achieved its goals such as self-sufficiency in certain fields, political stability with more broad based participation, an NHS available to all, increased Indian land ownership and a national identity.  Poverty still existed along with some other imperfections, but living standards had gone up and people were enjoying a better quality of life in the 1990’s than before, therefore achieving its goal.  However the worker’s union strikes achieved nothing and they continued to be exploited with the wealth staying more or less in the same hands as before.  Also there is still the huge American influence and presence due to re-privatisation of the utilities and land.  In theory the revolution was possible but in practise, due to poverty and exploitation, Mexico is still reliant on America and other foreign aid and investments, and therefore went back on what it set out to achieve as it cannot yet afford the independence it desires.