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The Mexican Revolution : A Movement Of The Middle Class

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The Mexican Revolution began as a movement of the middle class protesting against the long-standing dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. Diaz was an army officer who had came to power after a coup against former president Benito Juárez. Unlike Juárez, Diaz established a stable political system, in which the Constitution of 1857 was bypassed, local political bosses (caciques) controlled elections, political opposition, and public order, while a handful of powerful families and their clients monopolized economic and political power in the provinces.
The new money that was obtained by rising foreign trade and investments fueled the whole system. Railways spanned the country, mines and export croups flourished. The cities acquired paved streets, electric light, trams and drains. Even though other Latin American countries also were stepping up and putting in these new improvements it was an especially big deal for Mexico because the money was going into the rich elite and it also bolstered the national government.
By 1910, Diaz was eighty years old and was losing his grip on political opposition. Francisco Madero, a wealthy son of an elite family, proposed to run against Diaz. Madero believed that some democratic political reforms would relieve social tensions and allow the government to continue its economic developments with minimum unrest. This was much more than Diaz could handle and he threw Madero in jail. When he got out of jail, he called for a revolt.
A general rebellion

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