The best way to understand the Mexican Revolution is understand the people who wrote about it. Here are two sources, one primary and one secondary, that will help you grasp the motives and strafes of the Mexican Revolution
Primary Source: “The Plan de Ayala”
In an effort to rally the Mexican people and start a revolution, Emiliano Zapata wrote, The Plan de Ayala, justifying his want to over throw Madero. The purpose of this source is justify his rebellion against Madero, and express the wants and needs of the new leadership. The thesis of this source is that because Madero allied with “the científicos, the hacendados, the feudalists, and oppressive caciques,” (Zapata), thus ignoring the lower the townsfolk of Mexico.
There are many values in this source. The first is that each point is clearly stated in bullet form, which makes the argument easy to follow and read. Also each point is spoken concisely and clearly. Also Zapata is talking from a common man’s perspective which gives historians a change of perspective.
However, with every value comes a limitation in a source. ” The Plan de Ayala ” also has limitations. Zapata completely disregards the successes the Madero administration has had. Also Zapata is arguing for his own caste of people, therefore is subject to be biased in his opinion of the Madero’s Administration.
Secondary Source: ” Cárdenas Speaks”
In a paper titled “Cardenas Speaks” by Mexico’s Oil Companies, an excerpt from Cardenas speech regarding oil companies is revealed. Cardenas has the thesis that ” the properties of the oil companies had been expropriated in the public interest,” not just one certain group.
Cardenas continues to support his thesis with three main points: The first is that there have been numerous executive attempts to find a solution between the laborers and the Oil companies. The oil companies and the labors could not meet in agreements for labor laws. Cardenas on numerous occasions forced the oil companies to compromise their terms, (Cardenas). The second point Cardenas makes is that the waste from oil companies is affecting the general population of Mexico, because the “millions of cubic meters of natural gas [from the oil companies] are allowed to go to waste,” (Cardenas). The third point Cardenas makes is that most oil companies, “have its company police force for the protection of private, selfish, and often illegal interests,” (Cardenas). Cardenas goes on to justify the taking over of oil companies by charging the oil companies with innumerable outrages, abuses, and murders,” (Cardenas)
Cardenas finally comes to the conclusion that the “expropriation now decreed has as its only purpose the elimination of obstacles erected by groups who do not understand the evolutionary needs of all peoples.” In other words the expropriation occurred to protect the people of the nation, (Cardenas).
The purpose of this source is to justify the expropriation of the oil companies. This paper can be used in numerous ways in historical research. Because the oil companies take excerpts from Cárdenas speech and not their own interpretation the message is given to the reader without bias from the oil company. However, because the oil companies do not follow up with results from the expropriation, the reader is left wondering weather the expropriation really benefited the nation.
Zapata, Emiliano. Plan De Ayala. 1917.
Mexican Oil Companies, Cardenas Speaks.
