The Era of Porfirio Díaz: The Porfiriato
Porfirio Díaz
Born in Oaxaca in 1830 Díaz was a mestizo of Mixtec heritage
Attempted to join the priesthood and then tried studying law, but joined the Mexican
army instead
Became famous in Mexico for his defeat of the French on May 5, 1862
After his successful liberal rebellion in 1876 (the Plan de Tuxtepec), Díaz was elected
president of Mexico in 1877
President Díaz
After championing the principles of liberalism and winning the presidential elections in
1877, Díaz passed a constitutional reform that eliminated the possibility of re-election
Nevertheless, Díaz would essentially rule Mexico as a dictator for the next 30 years
Society During the Porfiriato
According to Hernández Chávez, “society was secular and placed more importance on
the individual and individual rights of expression and organization than before.” (Mexico:
A Brief History, pg. 171)  Mexican society grew increasingly liberal (and secular)
Industrialization and modernization increased under the dictatorship of Díaz
The benefits of modernization, however, did not reach all sectors of Mexican society 
social inequality was a hallmark of the Porfiriato (a gap between the “haves and Havenots”)
Society During the Porfiriato
Mexico had a population of 11.5 million by 1890 and a steady growth rate  growth
rate was attributed, in part, to increased and improved public services (education, public
health services, for example)
Increased industrialization stimulated population growth in certain areas of the
Republic: new industrial technologies and innovations made agriculture in northern
Mexico a sustainable and productive reality  population growth in northern Mexico as
people migrated north in search of economic opportunities (employment) in the nascent
agricultural sector
Society During the Porfiriato
Central Mexico and the Gulf Coast also became industrial centers during this period 
increased migration from the south (employment opportunities)
Modernizing Mexico, therefore, functioned to rupture local, family, and community
bonds in Mexico (Indian pueblos and rural towns)  nevertheless, modernization
integrated many (rural) Mexicans into the national economy and created the modern
Mexican working-class
Society During the Porfiriato
The Mexican migrant (and later immigrant) was created during the Porfiriato: “the first
[migrant] to leave a pueblo would later send word to others back home, ‘pulling’ his
relatives and friends after him, perhaps even financing their journey to the region where
he had found work.” (Mexico: A Brief History, pg. 175)
The transportation revolution also helped to transform the Mexican landscape  urban
and population centers (cities) were built near new railroad stations and sea ports in
Mexico
Society During the Porfiriato
Despite the increased “economic opportunities” in Mexico, the lives of most workingclass Mexicans were anything but “modern” or “progressive”  working-class Mexicans
faced harsh working conditions (long work weeks, long hours) and less-than-adequate
remuneration and compensation
Society During the Porfiriato
The rapid pace of industrialization and modernization during the Porfiriato created deep
social antagonisms in Mexico
The upper and middle-classes, which benefited financially and materially from
industrialization and modernization, were insensitive to the reality of lower-class life 
many in the upper and middle-classes even held the members of the lower-classes (i.e.,
the indigenous, the working-class, and the poor) in disdain or contempt
Society During the Porfiriato
Many of the social evils in Mexico (i.e., sexually transmitted diseases, alcoholism,
crime, etc.) were attributed to the lower-classes  resulting in a larger social divide
between the Upper and middle-classes and the lower-classes
Development of the Macho: it was during the Porfiriato that the Macho developed in
Mexico  men, particularly of the working and middle-classes, would frequently engage
in amoral activities while demanding the utmost respect, especially from their wives
Society During the Porfiriato
As president (or dictator), Díaz was concerned with making Mexico a modern or
progressive nation  for Díaz, education was a essential for modernizing Mexico
Picking up from where his rival Juárez left off, Díaz increased state spending on
education
The number of primary schools in Mexico increased from about 9K to 12K in the final
quarter of the 19th century  student enrollment also increased from about 200K to
800K during that same period
Society During the Porfiriato
Although state spending on secondary, preparatory, and vocational education was
significantly less than spending on primary education, by the end of the Porfiriato in
1910, nearly 20 percent of the Mexican population was literate (the literacy rate
throughout the 19th century was less than 15 percent)
Society During the Porfiriato
Public schools continued to be secular during the Porfiriato (and they continue to remain
so)  secular education was important because it “encouraged individuals to conceive of
the world as a set of material circumstances that can be modified through the exercise of
free will. With this worldview, the social actor was inclined to actively forge his or her
own destiny rather than passively wait for other forces to define what was possible. It
ushered in a new era in which merit, ability, and intelligence became the building blocks
of social mobility.” (Mexico: A Brief History, pg. 179)
Society During the Porfiriato
For Díaz, the template for modernity were the European nations, France in particular
(because of France’s level of industrialization and cultural sophistication)
French culture, therefore, was the culture to be admired and imitated in Mexico upperclass Mexicans often dressed in French fashions, owned French furniture, ate at the most
exquisite French restaurants, etc.
Díaz
redecorated El Paseo de la Reforma so that it could resemble the Champs Elysées
Society During the Porfiriato
In the early 20th century, Díaz ordered the construction of a national opera house (now
known as El Palacio de las Bellas Artes) in downtown Mexico City, modeled after
European art houses
The finest French marble was imported from France for its construction
Society During the Porfiriato
The leftover French marble was used in the construction of a monument for the 100th
anniversary of Mexican independence the monument is known as El Ángel de la
Independencia
The Mexican Economy During the Porfiriato
The vitality of the Mexican economy after the restoration of the republic in 1867
continued during the Porfiriato
A steady increase in International trade contributed to the propitious Mexican economy
Increased mining also contributed to the thriving economy  in the late 19th century,
industrial innovations (new mining technologies and machines) increased the
productivity of the mining sector
Growth of the mining sector also led to the discovery of new energy sources,
particularly coal and petroleum
The Mexican Economy During the Porfiriato
The increased productivity of the mining sector and the discovery of new energy sources
attracted foreign investment in Mexico and increased Mexican exports
Although alternative energies were discovered, Mexico lacked electricity or electric
power only the largest cities (such as state capitals) contained an electrical
infrastructure
Mexican Political Structure During the Porfiriato
The various forms of electoral participation that existed after the restoration of the
republic in 1867 persisted and, indeed, became more limited during the porfiriato
Since municipios and states continued to define citizenship and electoral rights, the
Porfirian government also decided to set voting criteria and qualifications for Mexicans
voting at the federal level, which included:
Having “an honest means of earning a living”
A minimum level of financial or material wealth
Literacy
Military service  demonstrable level of patriotism
Mexican Political Structure During the Porfiriato
By limiting the qualifications of Mexicans voting at the federal level of government, the
Porfirian government maintained what was essentially a monopoly on federal authority
 the reason why Porfirio Díaz remained president for over thirty years, despite the no
re-election reform legislation
The Mexican government during the Porfiriato, therefore, was essentially an autocracy
(federal authorities hand-picked their successors), with Díaz as the country’s dictator
Mexican Political Structure During the Porfiriato
Throughout the course of the 1880s, 1890s, and early twentieth century, the
government’s authority became increasingly authoritarian, the electoral process was
corrupted (specifically, federal and state elections were rigged), and the government
neglected public services
These factors created a disconnect between the Mexican people (primarily the rural
population and the lower classes) and the federal government  the Mexican population
turned to local municipios for political and public support
Mexican Political Structure During the Porfiriato
“Given the disconnect between the governing elite and the rural population, these two
groups drifted further apart. The social and political response of the communities was to
reject the new impositions, and all external authority along with them. [The rural
population] argued that their political rights were being continually eroded [by the federal
government].” (Mexico: A Brief History, pg. 190)
Breakdown of the Porfiriato
Because of the government’s neglect towards Mexican society, in the early 20th century
several sectors of Mexican society (including members of the working and middle
classes) began to debate new forms of representation at the federal level  a rebirth of
the liberal movement in Mexico
Liberal demands (including universal suffrage, no re-election, a true implementation of
the 1857 Constitution) were articulated through a variety of mediums in Mexico,
including:
Newspapers and printed media
Labor protests and strikes
Public entertainment (i.e., theater)
Breakdown of the Porfiriato
Also in the early 20th century, there were divisions among officials within the federal
government  the Porfirian government was increasingly becoming internally divided in
the early 20th century, nevertheless Porfirio Díaz remained in power as president
Díaz’s support of the Church was one reason why the Porfirian government was
internally divided
Díaz gave the Church many social and economic privileges (tax reductions or
exemptions, for example)
Díaz’s favor towards the Church also caused discontent among the Mexican people as
federal support of the Church directly contradicted the 1857 Constitution
Breakdown of the Porfiriato
In an interview in 1908, Díaz announced that he would not run for re-election in 1910 
Díaz’s statements had a profound impact in Mexico as several liberal political parties
were established and members of the Porfirian political elite further distanced themselves
from their colleagues in order to acquire higher positions of political authority  in short,
there was a splintering of Porfirian authority in Mexico
Breakdown of the Porfiriato
In 1909, Díaz had a “change of heart” and decided to run for re-election in 1910
Díaz’s decision to run for another term added further fuel to the fire of popular liberal
movements that had developed throughout Mexico
On the eve of the 1910 elections, then, the Mexican nation was divided into two camps:
those
in favor of re-election (re-election entailed the perpetuation of Porfirian practices
in Mexico)
those opposed to re-election (the end of Porfirian practices and the implementation of
liberal principles