Essay On Mexican Resistance

How would you discuss the worldviews and value systems of Indigenous peoples prior to European contact/invasion? How did these worldviews impact all aspects of life (science, agriculture, language, spirituality, etc.) for indigenous peoples?

After the people of Mexico freed themselves from Spanish control, they faced difficulties trying to officially establish themselves as a country. Despite their independence, Mexico had to also live with the aftermath of Spanish colonialism. Part of the aftermath included socio-political issues amongst the Mexican people. In an effort to establish themselves as a nation, they first had to free themselves from a Spanish ideology, for Mexico truly was not free after their independence. The socio-political predicaments contribute to the evolution of modern day Mexico.

The Mexican Revolution was the culmination of a mass of political, economic, and social tension that accompanied the regime of the dictator Porfirio Diaz. The Revolution began with the aims to overthrow Diaz, but the Revolution had a pronounced effect on the organization of Mexico's government, economy, and society.

One popular paining is of Vicente Guerrero, one of Mexico’s generals, whom lead the fight of Mexico’s independence.

Thousands of Americans, who changed citizenship and received large tracts of land from the Mexican government, rebelled in Texas in 1835 for several reasons, including Mexico’s abolition of the locally popular Texas provincial government and its inability to

that President Polk had no right to do what he did. It is said that

Starting in the late nineteenth century until the end of World War II, the immigration policy in the United States experienced dramatic changes that altered the pace of immigration. High rates of immigration sparked adverse emotions and encouraged restrictive legislation and numerous bills in Congress advocated the suspension of immigration and the deportation of non-Americans (Wisconsin Historical Society). Mexican American history was shaped by several bills in Congress and efforts to deport all non-Americans from the United States. The United States was home to several Spanish-origin groups, prior to the Declaration of Independence. The term “Mexican American” was a label used to describe a number of Hispanic American groups that

The Mexican Revolution completely changed Mexico’s society and its government. It is called one of the greatest upheavals of the 20th century by many. It all started in 1910 and ended a dictatorship and created a constitutional republic. The United States played a major role in the revolution by supporting the side who occupied the seats of power for both economic reasons and political reasons. Their contribution varied by supporting the Mexican regimes in the beginning but then rejecting them by the end of the revolution. That’s why I believe that without the intervention of the United States, the revolution would have ended another way. So to what extent did the United States interact and influence the Mexican Revolution from 1910-1920? I believe the answer is that without the intervention of the United States, Mexico could still be a dictatorship.

Three examples of how Mexicans in New Mexico, California, and Texas resisted Anglo domination from the documentary, The Latino Americans, is through the court systems in California, land domination in New Mexico, and the battle of the Alamo in Texas. The first example of resistance against Anglo domination is that of Mariano Vallejo, a Mexican elite who owned a 65,000-acre spread of land in California where he made of living through grape vines and livestock. Furthermore, Anglo’s from the East were invading the West due to the gold rush. In addition, once the gold had been wiped out the Anglo’s became squatters on Mexican owned territory where Vallejo took to the judicial system in order to remove the squatters from his land. Unfortunately,

     There was a huge revolution in the country of Mexico that started in the year 1910, led by Porfirio Diaz, the president of Mexico in 1910. In the 1860’s Diaz was important to Mexican politics and then was elected president in 1877. Diaz said that he would only be president for one year and then would resign, but after four years he was re-elected as the President of Mexico. Porfirio Diaz and the Mexican revolution had a huge impact on the country of Mexico that is still felt in some places today.

The picture of pre-revolutionary Mexican women was of a woman who had to lived her life constantly in the male shadow. These women were consumed by family life, marriage, and the Catholic Church, and lived silently behind their dominant male counterparts (Soto 31-32). In 1884 (prior to the revolution) the government passed the Mexican Civil Code. It dramatically restricted women's rights at home and at work (Bush and Mumme 351). Soto states that the code "sustains an almost incredible inequality between the conditions of husband and wife, restricts in an exaggerated and arbitrary manner those rights due the woman, and…erases and nullifies her personality" (qtd. Bush and Mumme 351).

In the Preface of Major Problems in Mexican American History Zaragosa Vargas writes, "Nearly two thirds of Latinos in the United States are of Mexican descent, or Chicanos- a term of self definition that emerged during the 1960's and early 1970s civil rights movement. Chicanos reside mainly in the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and the Midwest. Their history begins in the precolonial Spanish era, and they share a rich mestizo cultural heritage of Spanish, Indian, and African origins. The Chicanos' past is underscored by conquest of the present-day American Southwest first by the Spanish and then by the United States following the Mexican American War" (xv). When one thinks of a Chicano one thinks of the Mayans and Aztecs, the conquests,

The Spanish had been expanding their influence in the new world by conquering the empires and peoples. Soon they would extend northward continuing to claim new land thereby building New Spain. Starting in 1540 the Spanish moved into what would become New Mexico. With the Spanish expansion came soldiers, missionaries, and settlers. These movements would lead to a confrontation between the Pueblo people and the Spaniards known as the “Tiguex War.” The "Tiguex War" was spearheaded by occurred during the winter of 1540-41. Leading the Spaniard troops was Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. The Spanish attacked the 12 tribes of the region leading to a further breakdown of Native and Spanish relations that would continue until 1598. Juan De Onate led a force of over 100 soldiers women children and Priests into the Rio Grande Valley attempting to start a Spanish settlement. The establishment of this new settlement soon leads to another revolt between the Pueblo and the Spaniards. This rebellion is known as the "Tacoma Massacre." Under the command of Juan De Onate, the Spanish soldiers killed and enslaved hundreds of Natives. Onate also ordered the right foot to be removed from the 24

Mexican resistance reflected the ongoing brutality from Anglos attempting to keep the “bandit” community in a racial subordinate position. The more Mexicans resisted against Anglos allowed them to assert in more violent opportunities. In 1855 for example a gang of Mexican killed a few Anglos to ensure mob rule “... the ensuing manhunt, mobs arbitrarily killed between eight and sixteen Mexicans, burned down several homes… and issued an order for all Mexicans to leave the region at once”(Berg,52). Violence from Mexicans only fueled Anglos with more violence and tyranny. Anglos shot, tortured and lynched hundreds of Mexicans in the eighteenth century.

After the Spanish had risen to power and Atahualpa was executed, several of Atahualpa’s generals started rebelling against the Spanish. Quizquiz defended Cuzco from the Spaniards and Ruminahui burned Quito instead of letting it fall into the enemies hands. Nevertheless, the Spanish remained in power and within two years, they seemed to be in firm control. However, one of the Incas the Spanish had enthroned was plotting against them. Manco Inca Yupanqui, one of Atahualpas and Huáscars many brothers, led over 100,000 Incan warriors in an attack against the Spanish in 1536. He besieged Cuzco for more than six months and killed one of the Pizarro brothers before he was forced away by Spanish reinforcements. He managed to escape and formed a rebel colony in the mountains, which was not conquered by the Spanish for almost 40 years. During this time the Spanish were destroying sacred lands, sacred objects, however they did not find the mountain city, Machu Picchu.