The political and economic poliies of mexico in 1876-1910
“The Porfirato” is the name given by historians to the period 1876-1910 in Mexico.The Mexican government was under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz,who was responsible for implementing Mexican Modernization during his 34 year reign.Porfirio Diaz (1830-1915) was of Spanish and Indegenous ancestry who became a national heroe because of his military exploits during the French intervention.He also commanded the troops that captured Mexico city in 1867 The first diaz administration (1876-1880) established after power was seized from Juarez through caudillo and military support .He later returned to office in 1884 and “continued to it through successive reelections until his resignationand flight from Mexico in 1911” .In the four year interim 1880-1884,Manuel Gonzalez with the initial support of Diaz continued Diaz’s modernization programme. The Mexican government of this period employed economic and social policies of industrialization by invitation, land expropriation, revised taxation and constitutional amendment, to open up the country for development. Industrialization by invitation opened Mexico to foreign capital from United States and Europe. “When Diaz assumed control ofMexico in 1876,the country had scarce . . .
These men were well trained and better paid than the the soldiers in the army. The army was sent to break strikes when they protested. Foreign capital fuelled dynamic growthand an expanding rail network promoted eport agriculture,manufacturing and mining. To keep the support of the wealthy hacendados Diaz aloowed them to carry out this process in the local villages,ejidos,stripping them of their holdings. French capital and French bankers played a decisive role in establishing the Mexican National Bank and in later years France became one of the main sources of loans for Mexico. Industrial workers and miners who enjoyed higher wages than peons. As products could be quickly transported to population centers and the leading ports,new agricultural lands,specializing in commercil agriculture,were opened,and values increased” The flood of foreign investment almost $1200 million worth helped gross national product to rise at an annual rate of 8% . ” Mexico also experienced great gain in commercial agriculture and the petroleum industry got under the way in 1800. The most important product of modernization was the self confidence that replaced the embarrassment felt by the Mexicans in the previous decades of destructive strife. Foreign railway companies invested in railway building creating a boom under the Diaz regime. The allowance of an open market for foreign traders resulted in an economic boom and the emergence of a modern banking system. However, this policy of foreign traders was notbeneficial to the average citizen of Mexico. The reforms lowered taxes on mining and allowed foreign ownership of subsoil resources attracting foreign investors to the mines. The production lead began with 38,860 tons in 1891-2 and rose to 79,011 tons in 1900-1. This relationship was described by one scholar of Mexican militarism as follows: “The Diaz system was self reinforcing .
Common topics in this essay:
Rurales PoliceThese, El PasoTexas, Bank France, Spanish Indegenous, Europe Diaz, Mexico Government, United British, Company Boston, , MexicoThe Mexican, mexican government, american investors, public lands, industrialization invitation, foreign traders, mexico city, foreign companies, land expropriation, tons 1891-2, |