Modern Mexican Timeline
PRE-COLUMBIAN ERA
7,200BC 1st signs of agriculture in Valley of Mexico
2,500BC Villages began evolving
1,200BC Olmec culture begins. Mother culture for most of Central Mexico (Mesoamerica). Lasted until 400BC
600BC
100 AD
Maya culture begins developing cities. Most advanced pre-Columbian civilization. Began writing 50 BC. Began
to decline in 800AD.
City of Teotihuacan founded. Reached population of 200,000 at its apex. Began to decline in 750AD.
968 AD
Tula capital city of the Toltec empire founded. Most powerful empire in central Mexico until its fall in 1156 AD.
1253AD
Aztecs migrate into the Valley of Mexico. By 1440 they are the most powerful empire in Mesoamerica (central
Mexico) until 1521 when Cortes & the Spanish defeat them.
COLONIAL ERA
1492
Columbus gets lost and runs into the Western Hemisphere
1519
Cortes arrives on the east coast of modern day Mexico
1521
Cortes conquers the Aztecs. The Spanish colonial empire exists until 1821 when Mexico wins its independence.
INDEPENDENCE ERA
1821
Mexico wins its independence from Spain
1824
Mexican constitution establishes a Republican government that lasts until 1857. Continual civil war exists until
1876.
1857
1857 constitution lasts until 1917. It is constantly ignored and altered to fit the needs of the unstable Mexican
leadership.
PORFIRIO DIAZ DICTATORSHIP (PORFIRIATO) 1876-1911
1876
1880
1883
1884
Diaz revolt ousts democratically elected president Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada. Diaz elected President (1st Term)
1876-80; re-elected consecutively 1884-1911
Manuel Gonzalez elected President with Diaz's support
Terreno Baldio (Public Land) Acts passed. Law allows the surveying of Mexico to determine its size. Corrupted
process leads to many peasants & Indian villages to lose their land.
Diaz re-elected (Will be re-elected 6 more terms)
1st US/Mexican Railroad completed
1900
*9.2% of population in cities
1906
Cananea Strike (June 1). Takes place in Sonora. Mexican officials allowed Arizona rangers to enter Mexico to put
down the strike. One of the causes that lead Mexican organized labor to participate in the Mexican Revolution.
World Economic Recession significantly weakened the Porfirian government.
Rio Blanco Strike (January 7) was also violently put down by the Mexican army.
Francisco I. Madero published his book, La Sucesion Presidencial en 1910. Supported Diaz's economic policies
but criticized the lack of real democracy in Mexico.
During an interview with James Creelman, Diaz indicates that he is ready to step down and allow for an open
election, however this does not happen and Diaz is re-elected in 1910.
Beginning of large-scale anti-Diaz protest
New Law: Subsoil rights are property of landowners. Changes colonial law that gave subsoil control to the nation
1907
1908
1909
of Mexico.
1910
Diaz re-elected. Francisco Madero rebelled under the Plan de San Luis Potosi issued in October
MILITARY PHASE OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION 1910-1920
1910
1911
Mexican Revolution set to begin November 20, but Madero initially received little support.
Pancho Villa & Pascual Orozco lead small revolts in Chihuahua
Emiliano Zapata revolts in Morelos
May Ciudad Juarez falls to Orozco's & Villa's forces
May Diaz resigns & Francisco Leon de La Barra appointed Interim President
1912
1913
Zapata issues Plan de Ayala in November demanding massive land reform (Agrarian reform)
Madero elected President, president from November 1911 to February 1913
Madero names Victoriano Huerta commander of Federal Forces in April
Huerta defeats rebellions by Felix Diaz & Pascual Orozco in October
Decena Tragica (10 Sad days) February 9-22: Revolts take place in Mexico City
- Madero arrested by Huerta & forced to resign on February. 19 & is assassinated February 22
- Huerta declared President February 1913 & will be until August 1914
March Venustiano Carranza revolts against Huerta under the Plan de Guadalupe
- Most northern rebels unite behind Carranza
1914
April United States invades occupies Vera Cruz
August Mexican rebels occupy Mexico City & Huerta resigns
Convention of Aguascalientes (Convention of the Winners) mostly military leaders
- Villa & Zapata (Conventionalists) break with Carranza & Alvaro Obregon (Constitutionalists)
1915
1916
February Casa de Obrero Mundial unions in Mexico City join Carranza
April Obregon defeats Villa at Battle of Celaya
October 17 the United States recognizes Carranza as provisional President
March 9, 1916 Villa invades Columbus, NM
- John J. Pershing invades Mexico chasing Villa (1916-1917)
1917
September Carranza calls for a Constitutional Convention
Constitution promulgated/Carranza elected President (1917-1920)
1918
Confederacion Regional Obrera Mexicana (CROM) founded-largest Mexican labor union
1919
1920
April 10 Zapata murdered by Carranza's forces
Obregon & Sonoran followers revolt under the Plan de Agua Prieta against Carranza
- Last successful Military Revolt
- May 21 Carranza Assassinated
- May 25-December 1Sonoran Adolfo de la Huerta provisional-President
CONSTRUCTIVE PHASE OF MEXICAN REVOLUTION, 1920-1940
1920
1922
December 1 Obregon assumes Presidency
"Revolutionary Nationalism" unites army, urban labor & rural sector & popular classes
- Jose Vasconcelos: Minister of Education: Purpose to create new "Mexican citizens" that are loyal to the PostRevolutionary state
Lamont-de la Huerta Treaty Mexico recognizes $700 million debt to United States
1923
Bucareli Agreements: US recognizes Mexico & Article 23 Not retroactive
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
Villa assassinated
December Adolfo de la Huerta rebels
Calles elected President
- Era of political liberalism ended
- Luis Morones (President of CROM) named Minister of Industry, Commerce & Labor
March De la Huerta rebellion defeated)
March Plan de Hemosillo Revolt also defeated - Leaves army politically weak
Moises Saenz, Minister of Education declares rural schools will replace Church as community center
National Highway Commission created
Renegotiated Mexican debt to the United States reduced by $220 million
New Petroleum law supercedes Bucareli agreement-US threatens action against Calles in response
Calles asserts government power over the Catholic Church
- July 31 the Archbishop suspends Church services to protest government attacks against the Church
- Cristero Revolt: Church and government go to war against one another until 1929
National Irrigation Commission created
1925 Petroleum law declared non-retroactive in order to pacify US oil interests
Obregon elected President
July 17 José León de Torral assassinated Obregon
- Luis Morones & CROM suspected of planning the assassination & begin to fade away
Calles appoints Emilio Portes Gil, as Provisional President until 1930
December 11 National Revolutionary Party (PNR) founded by Calles (Precursor to PRI)
1929
1930
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
Mexico defaults on its international debt
Maximato (1929-1935) begins
Cristero Revolt over: Government & Church agree not to interfere in each other’s business
Pascual Ortiz Rubio (PNR candidate) elected President
De Oca-Lamont Agreement: Mexico agrees to a $318.2 million debt to United States
September 2 Ortiz Rubio resigns Presidency
September 3, 1932-December 1, 1934 Abelardo Rodriguez selected President - Last Interim President
Lombardo Toledano new national labor leader (CTM
1st Agrarian Code gave landless peasants s access to ejido (communal) land for 1st time
December 1, Lazaro Cardenas elected President (PNR candidate)
June Cardenas Splits from Calles; ends the Maximato
- Portes Gil sides with Cardenas & becomes Political executioner purges the government of Callistas
Oil Workers Union founded
Large-scale Agrarian Reform begin
- Laguna expropriation 1st large expropriated commercial estate
Confederacion de Trabajadores Mexicanos (CTM) founded
Railroads Nationalized
Government issues new oil leases to foreign companies
Oil workers strike
March 1 Supreme Court rules in favor of Oil Workers against foreign oil companies
March 18 Oil Expropriation
PNR changed to Mexican Revolutionary Party (PRM)
- Four pillars: Military, labor, agrarian sector & popular sector
- National Peasant Confederation (CNC) formed agrarian-wing of the (PRM)
1940
Saturnino Cedillo revolt defeated
Manuel Gomez Morin establishes the National Action Party (PAN)
National railroads placed under labor's control
By 1940 Cardenas redistributes 18 million hectares to villages & peasants - Ejido 47% of cultivated land
Sinclair Oil Company breaks ranks with other companies & agreed to terms with government
*18% of population in cities
December 1 President Cardenas passes political power to his successor
BEGINNING OF CONSERVATIVE CIVILIAN RULE, 1940-1970
1940
1942
1945
1946
1952
1953
1954
1957
1958
1963
1964
1968
December 1 Manuel Avila Camacho assumes the presidency: Last Military President
- Military sector of PRM removed & the Army professionalized
Would War II encourages Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) economic policy
All oil companies settle for compensation of $23.8 million
Mexico & United States sign Bracero Agreement
After WWII European influence in Mexico minimal
Miguel Aleman 1st Civilian President
PRM become the Partido Revolutionario Institutional (PRI)
- Mexican politics shift to right & become conservative & pro-US
Adolfo Ruiz Cortines President
Women enfranchised
Mexico criticizes the US overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz
Tapadismo (Hidden Candidacy) process allows the President to picks his own successor
Adolfo Lopez Mateos President
- 2nd only to Cardenas in land redistribution
United States returns El Chamizal to Mexico
Electoral Reform Law: Any party that receives 2.5% of total votes wins Chamber of Deputies seats
Gustavo Diaz Ordaz-President
Carlos Madrazo civilian President of the PRI, 1st non-military party president in twenty years
July 26 Pro-Castro rally caused the government to institute university lockout in Mexico City
October 2 Student Massacre at Tlatelolco
TRANSITION TO NEW GOVERNMENT & ECONOMIC POLICIES, 1970-1994.
1970
Luis Echevarria President
National Debt $3.2 Billion
*35% of population in cities
1975
10% of consumed grain imported
1976
Jose Lopez Portillo President
1977
New oil discoveries boost lagging economy
1979
36% of consumed grain imported
1980
Sistema Alimentario Mexican (SAM) instituted
- 1st major coordinated effort to improve domestic agricultural production
1982
Miguel de la Madrid President
Mexico joins General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade (GATT)
- Mexico begins to dismantle ISI economic programs
1987
National Debt $100 Billion
1988
Carlos Salinas de Gortari President
- Presidency begins to liberalize the Mexican economic system
-The Revolution's social priorities abandoned for economic development (neo-liberal policies)
1994
January 1 NAFTA begins
- Chiapas Rebellion in Southern Mexico begins in protest to NAFTA
PRI Candidate Donaldo Colosio assassinated
Ernesto Zedillo President
END OF ONE-PARTY RULE
2000
Vicente Fox PAN candidate elected President