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Weekly Reflection

6 min read
Posted on 
December 29th, 2022
Home English Weekly Reflection
  1. Write a 200- to 250-word reflection on this week’s topic by responding to the question/comment below.
  2. Your response should be in standard essay format (introduction, body, conclusion; complete sentences, paragraphs). Points will be deducted if you do not follow this format and/or the quality of the writing is poor (spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors), so be sure to proofread carefully.
  3. NO Points if any of your reflection is plagiarized. Use only the required readings/lectures in your response, but don’t over-quote from them – this should be written IN YOUR WORDS.

Political�Geography
Part�1:�Political�Independence�

&�Making�Nations

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Map�of�
Independence�
Movements

Becoming�States
� PostͲindependence�Latin�American�states�

suffered�from�social�polarization�– a�legacy�of�
landownership�and�economic�practices�
established�during�the�colonial�period

� Independence�struggles�were�not�class�
struggles�but�antiͲcolonial�struggles�– began�life�
with�internal�contradictions�and�destabilizing�
internal�politics
� Oppressed,�illiterate�masses�illͲprepared�for�

civic�responsibility;�elites�opposed�to�any�
form�of�power�sharing

� Independence�did�not�mark�a�break�with�the�
exploitative�colonial�attitudes�and�structures�–
emergence�of�new�elites
� Contradictory�political�environment�–

constitutions�with�eloquent�guarantees�of�
personal�civil�liberties�that�have�been�
widely�violated�since�independence

Caudillismo
� After�independence,�the�economic�elite�became�

somewhat�autonomous�and�left�politics�to�the�military�
figures�from�the�revolutions

� Caudillismo�– arbitrary�rule�by�a�military�or�political�
strongman�or�chief;�rule�enforced�by�violent�means�
(early):�political�assassination�or�an�army�revolt,�and�
nonͲviolent�means�later:�election�rigging,�intimidation�
– one�candidate,�continuismo�(rewriting�constitution,�
or�rigging�election�for�handpicked�successor)

� Caudillos�had�regional�power�bases�and�exerted�power�
over�localized�areas�– a�symptom�of�the�disunity�within�
large�states
� Some�caudillos�were�able�to�take�over�the�whole�

state�– Juan�Manuel�de�Rosas�(Argentina),�Antonio�
Lopez�de�Santa�Anna�(Mexico)�– but�most�ruled�
their�regional�enclaves

� Caudillismo�and�the�support�bases�established�around�
them�gave�rise�to�the�cult�of�the�individual�that�we�see�
later�in�populism�– associated�influences�of�
paternalism,�clientelism�and�authoritarianism

5RVDV

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Elites�in�Power
� PostͲindependence�caudillo�period�dissipated�around�1850s�as�

elites�reemerged�from�seclusion
� States�became�more�unified�– facilitated�by�rail�and�road�

infrastructure�development�– as�foreign�investment�capital�
flowed�into�the�region

� During�this�period,�politics�was�the�territory�of�the�rich�– either�
directly�or�through�dictators�– Porfirio�Diaz�in�Mexico

� Key�political�issues�were�between�two�factions�– liberals�and�
conservatives
� Conservatives�– proͲChurch,�centralized�government�

favoring�big�cities
� Liberals�– separation�of�church�and�state,�federalist�(power�

base�in�outlying�regions),�egalitarian�political�philosophies
� In�19th century�Colombia,�there�were�8�national�civil�wars,�14�

regional�civil�wars,�and�many�other�local�disputes�between�the�
two�parties

� Found�ways�to�ensure�elite�rule�was�maintained�– ballotͲbox�
stuffing,�voteͲbuying,�literacy�laws�– illiterate�people�could�not�
vote�in�Peru�until�1979

‘LD]

Case�Study:�The�Mexican�Revolution
and�Developing�Nationalism

Why�Revolution?
� Mexico�under�Porfirio�Diaz

� He�encouraged�foreign�and�national�investment�in�oil,�railroads,�and�land�
development�– trackage�increased�from�723�miles�in�1881�to�9029�miles�
in�1900

� Expanded�haciendas�– peasants�lost�their�last�remnants�land�and�became�
like�property�of�the�hacienda
� By�1910,�98%�of�arable�land�was�owned�by�haciendas;�90%�of�
peasants�were�landless

� Terrazas�hacienda�larger�than�Belgium�&�the�Netherlands�combined�
� Vast�amounts�of�property�were�under�foreign�control�– by�1910,�US�held�

100M�acres�(22%�of�Mexico’s�land�surface)
� Thousands�were�transformed�into�agrarian�and�industrial�workers�–

indebted�to�company�store,�substandard�living�conditions,�rigidly�
controlled,�violently�suppressed�if�they�tried�to�unionize

� Results
� Strong�land�owning�class,�weak�middle�class,�exploited�peasants�and�

workers
� The�disaffected�coalesced�into�revolutionary�force

Two�Revolutions
� MiddleͲclass�professionals,�intellectuals,�ranchers�

and�merchants�who�wanted�a�modern,�
democratic,�progressive�state�with�a�strong�
centralized�national�government
� 1908�– Madero�publishes�The�Presidential�

Succession�in�1910�that�called�for�free�
elections

� Madero�was�imprisoned�– Diaz�reͲelected�
himself

� Peasants�who�wanted�land�reform�and�social�
justice�based�on�local�selfͲrule
� Two�fronts�– North�led�by�Pancho�Villa,�and�

the�South�led�by�Emiliano�Zapata�
� Villa�and�Zapata’s�peasant�armies�defeated�the�

Federal�Army�in�1911�and�Madero�became�
president

0DGHUR

9LOOD

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Revolution�– Part�1
� Madero’s�Rule

� Established�free�press,�independent�Congress�with�
power�over�executive,�enable�formation�of�political�
parties

� But…old�bureaucracy�remained,�haciendas�were�
untouched,�peasants�did�not�recover�their�land

� Battles�between�police�and�unions�&�peasant�
invasions�in�rural�areas

� Results
� Denounced�as�a�traitor�by�Zapata
� Conspiracy�instigated�by�US�ambassador�led�to�

murder�of�Madero�by�General�Victoriano�Huerta
� Huerta�was�an�incompetent�tyrant�– rebel�factions�

united�under�Venustiano�Carranza�(representing�
middle�and�upper�classes�– businessmen,�
professionals,�small�landowners);�Villa�and�Zapata�
also�attacked�Huerta’s�forces�

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&DUUDQ]D

Revolution�– Part�2

� Huerta�was�defeated�in�1914�– then�the�
revolution�turned�in�on�itself�– goals�of�Villa�and�
Zapata�were�at�odds�with�Carranza�and�
Obregon

� Carranza�was�briefly�pushed�out�of�Mexico�City�
by�Villa�and�Zapata�– but�they�did�not�seize�
power�– they�went�back�to�the�countryside

� Zapata�redistributed�land�according�to�each�
village�and�the�villages�ruled�themselves�
according�to�their�customs�(1914Ͳ1915)

� Local�autonomy�was�at�odds�with�the�vision�of�a�
national�Mexican�state�by�Carranza�and�
Obregon

� Alvaro�Obregon�defeats�Villa�in�1915
� Carranza�set�up�Zapata�to�be�assassinated�in�

1919�– many�of�Zapata’s�followers�still�don’t�
believe�he�died

9LOOD� �=DSDWD�LQ�’)

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Revolution�– Part�3

� Obregon�became�the�leader�in�1920�after�
Carranza�was�mysteriously�assassinated

� He�implemented�the�revolutionary�Constitution�of�
1917,�which�included�land�reform�(to�win�over�the�
Zapatismo�forces)�and�radical�laws�on�land�
ownership�and�exploitation�of�subsoil�resources

� He�also�established�a�comprehensive�national�
education�plan�– led�by�Jose�Vasconcelos
� In�1910,�rural�masses�equaled�80%�of�the�

population�and�all�but�10%�of�them�were�
illiterate�

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Creating�Nations
� Nation:�A�group�of�people�who�share�particular�historicalͲ

cultural�characteristics�or�imagine�themselves�to�do�so
� Nationalism:�Strong�identification�with�the�nation�to�which�a�

person�feels�they�belong;�encapsulates�a�set�of�beliefs�and�
practices�which�people�come�to�accept�as�‘natural’

� ‘imagined�communities’—provide�feeling�of�belonging,�
solidarity�and�commonality�among�people�who�have�never�met�
and,�in�most�cases,�never�will�(Benedict�Anderson�1991)

Creating�Mexico�&�Mexicans
� Vasconcelos�helped�to�created�a�new�nation�– that�represented�all�its�

parts�and�history�– Indian,�Spanish,�Mestizo�– through…
� Education�Reform�&�the�Cultural�Revolution�– Mexican�muralists�

helped�to�“write”�the�history�of�Mexico�– to�bring�everyone�into�the�
story

&RUWHV� �³/D�0DOLQFKH´

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