Mexico 1800-1850  

Mexico’s  Popula/on  Growth,  20th  Century      Year   Popula+on  (Millions)  

1800   4.5  

1850   7.5  

1875   9.5  

1895   12.6  

 Indian  Pueblos  1800-­‐1850  

•  Indian  Pueblos  1/3  of  the  popula/on  in  Mexico  live  in  the  most  part  in  /ny  villages,  socially  and  economically  isolated  from  the  remainder  of  the  country.    

•  No  Schools  

•  No  churches  (only  big  ones)  

•  Subsistence  farming  

•  Curandero    

Rural  Towns  1800-­‐1850  

•  1000-­‐3500  houses  of  primarily  Mes/zos  and  Indians  who  had  accommodated  to  the  Hispanic  way  of  life.    

•  Spanish  main  language.  

•  Some/mes  private  schools.    

•  Churches      

•  “Leva”  system  was  implemented    

•  System  of  forced  conscrip/on  directed  to  the  uneducated  masses  (Indians  exempt  given  they  did  not  speak  Spanish)  used  by  local  commanders  to  fill  their  military  quotas.  Troublemakers,  vagabonds,  and  prisoners  were  taken.    

 

Provincial  Ci/es  1800-­‐1850    

•  Was  were  we  can  find  signs  of  wealth  in  Mexico.    

•  Imported  carriages  were  a  sign  of  status.  

•  Cathedrals.    

•  Secondary  Schools.    

•  Aristocracy  dressed  with  the  latest  European  fashion.      •  Most  visible  employment  was  the  “tameme”    

Modernizing Mexico 1850-1900  

•  During the second half of the 19th century Mexico would go a profound industrial transformation.

Modernizing Mexico 1850-1900

•  Benito Juarez President (1858-1872)

•  Liberal leader

•  1859 Leyes de Reforma

•  Nationalized church property •  Separation of Church and State,

Ex. Schools, Convents.

During the second half of the 19th century Mexico would go a profound industrial transformation.  

•  Porfirio Diaz believed that potential investors had to be convinced that stability was supplementing turbulence.

Porfirio Diaz (1876-1910)  

Technological Innovations and Mexico’s Industrial Growth

•  1876-1910 Steam, water, electric power began to replace animal and human muscle.

•  1880 telephone arrived.

•  1901 oil production began and nine years later 13 million barrels were produced, mostly for export.

•  Mining industry was revived, with copper now rivaling silver as the most valuable ore.

•  What was the biggest industrial innovation of its time?

Approx. 80 % of the capital outlay came from the United States.  

Mexico’s Railroad Expansion.  

Year     Miles  of  Railway  

1860   150  

1876   400  

1892   6,876  

1910   12,000  

1911   15,000  

U.S. Railroad Tracks 1860

In 1860 when the U.S. had over 30,000 miles of track in operation, Mexico had only 150 miles  

U.S. Raiload Tracks 1890

The Impacts of the Railroad  

•  As a result of the arrival of the railroad new agricultural land specialized in commercial agriculture, and land value would increase.

•  Machinery was also able to be imported aiding to the

expansion in production.

•  Mexico’s foreign trade (exports and imports) increased from 50 million pesos in 1876 to about 488 million pesos in 1910.

 

The Hacienda