The History of Mexican Newspapers by Victor

Historical Significance of Mexican Newspapers, 1900-1929

The period of 1900 to 1929 is pivotal in the formation of modern Mexico and its subsequent relationship with the United States. In 1900, the Pax Porfiriana ruled the country: internal stability was established by an effective and powerful government headed by Porfirio Díaz, and foreign investment led to economic progress and industrialization. The population swelled throughout the country, particularly in the north, considered the most progressive region in the country at the time-and even to this day.
But the situation changed dramatically during the next ten years. Noted historian Friedrich Katz states in The Cambridge History of Latin America (Cambridge: University Press, 1986, vol. 5) that there was no one single cause for this change but several: an economic depression with a decline in living standards, regional political movements, increased government repression, rivalry among would-be essors to an aging president, a new surge of nationalism, and Mexico as the center for a European-U.S. power struggle. These factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution and the downfall of the Díaz regime in 1911.



The succession of Francisco Madero to the presidency did not bring peace to the country, but rather a violent series of regional and integional uprisings. This struggle is called the first social revolution of the twentieth century. The human and economic dislocation was enormous: one tenth of Mexico's population was killed or injured and a massive migration to the borderlands and to the U.S.thwest occurred. In fact, this migration was the first wave of a movement north of the border into the United States by large segments of the Mexican population. Widespread peasant movements, the rise of labor unions, expropriation of large estates, and political reform culminated in the promulgation of a new constitution in 1917 and the creation of a new state headed by Venustiano Carranza. But the rivalry and fighting among regional chiefs continued until his death in 1920 when Alvaro Obregón ascended to the presidency. Despite the occurrence of several military insurrections, the subsequent decade was a period of economeconstruction and political consolidation under Obregón and later Plutarco Elías Calles. The dominant political party in Mexico during the late twentieth century, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), had its genesis during these years.



The newspapers of the period document these dramatic events and reflect the attitudes and fears of the common people as well as the statements and propaganda of those in power. These publications also record the struggle to forge a new Mexico and to define its relationship with the United States. The U.S. government was often not an impartial observer and sometimes even a participant in Mexican affairs during these years. Three of the many incidents of intervention were the U.S. warships sent by President Taft to Mexico's Gulf and Pacific coasts in 1913; the assault by U.S. troops of Veracruz and Tampico in 1914, under orders from President Wilson; and the military incursion into northern Mexico by Brigadier General John J. Pershing in 1916and 1917.



The Mexican newspapers in this microfilm project, therefore, are important documents for U.S. as well as Mexican history. They amply demonstrate the long and often conflictive relationship between the two countries-a relationship that many researchers have explored and elucidated over the years. This project, Revolutionary Mexico in Newspapers, 1900-1929, makes these newspapers more readily accessible to scholars through their preservation, cataloging, and availability for interlibrary loan. Although holdings of many of these newspapers exist in very short runs, the titles are often unique-perhaps the only extant record of a newspaper's short-lived existence.



The newspapers from this time reflect Mexican partisan politics, yellow press, political and social satire, as well as local, regional, national, and international news. As the Díaz government was crumbling, political satire flourished in Mexico City prior to the outbreak of revolution in 1910. This streak of humor continued throughout the period, but no less coverage was given to real news about military personnel, political strong-men, and bloody battles that raged. Examples from various satiric newspapers in this guide demonstrate an often harsh view of the U.S. role in Mexican history as well as a sharp critique of Mexican politicians and its elite.