Contemporary Mexico
The Reconstruction of the Country
Although the Constitution was proclaimed in 1917, the war continued in various regions of Mexico until 1920. By the time it finally ended, many
things had changed; Mexico was now controlled by a new generation of men and women formed by the Revolution.
Destruction was everywhere; agriculture, the mines, factories and commerce had all been seriously damaged. The same was true of the roads,
bridges, railroad lines, telegraph cables and many other installations.
A large number of soldiers and civilians had died in the battles, or had been killed by bandits who took advantage of the disorder; others fell
prey to hunger and to the epidemics caused by the struggle.
Reconstruction of Mexico
The Rreconstruction of Mexico.
Painting by Juan O´Gorman, 1949.
Many men and women left the country for the United States of America, where they looked for work as they tried to escape from their political
enemies. Others went to live in the cities, especially Mexico City, where the conditions were not so dangerous. In 1910, Mexico had just over
fifteen million inhabitants; by 1921, the population had fallen to around fourteen million. Between the dead, disappeared and exiled, the Mexican
population fell by around a million people during the Revolution.
Productive activities were paralyzed; only the oil fields and certain mines seemed to keep working. Since they were owned by foreigners, they
were respected to avoid problems with their governments.
Peace was gradually reestablished
Order gradually returned to the country. Although the armies of Zapata and Villa were defeated, and despite the betrayal and assassination of
Zapata in 1919, the guerilla war continued against Carranza and his followers in Morelos and Chihuahua. Villa signed a peace treaty with the
government in 1920. He was given the Canutillo ranch in Durango, where he lived until he was assassinated in an ambush at Hidalgo del Parral,
Chihuahua, in 1923.
Carranza was the first President elected after the proclamation of the Constitution of 1917. By the end of his administration (a four year period, as
opposed to the present six year term), Carranza had not succeeded in convincing the revolutionary leaders to support his candidate for the
following elections. Consequently, generals Alvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elías Calles organized the Rebellion of Agua Prieta, which was named
after the Sonora village where it began.
Carranza retreated and escaped with his men towards Veracruz, and prepared to fight back. However, he was assassinated in the sierra region of
Puebla, at a small village called Tlaxcalantongo, in May 1920.
After the triumph of the rebellion, Adolfo de la Huerta was named interim President and convinced the Zapatista generals and Villa to lay down
their arms. Peace was once again reestablished and new presidential elections were called; Alvaro Obregón subsequently became the new
President.
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