Mexico: La Tierra Del MisterioEssay Preview: Mexico: La Tierra Del MisterioReport this essayMexico: La Tierra Del MisterioMany factors in the tumultuous history of Mexico have lead to the development of a unique political culture and system. From the ancient Aztecs, to the conquest by Spain, to the current day administration of Vicente Fox, there have been many events and people that, through politics, have shaped Mexico into what it is today. This paper will review and analyze each of these events and people and the effect that they had on Mexican politics.
The first form of widespread and structured government came in the form of native tribes; chief amongst these tribes was the Aztecs. The Aztecs came into prominence starting around the 14th century, and dominated Mesoamerica until the arrival of Europeans. These people lived under a monarchial government, which was headed by an emperor and a council of elders, with the latter holding more power originally, but the former gaining more power as empire grew. As they dominated new lands, the Aztecs forced the conquered to pay tribute to the empire. They used this tribute to develop their roads and help better the welfare of their people.
The importance of the Aztec form of government as it relates to the current system is evident in the chronological chain of events that lead up to it. As a people who were used to be being controlled by a central figurehead, the Aztec people adapted quickly to the European system of government. This made it easy for the Europeans to declare dominance by conquering those currently in power, but when the Mexican people noticed that the quality of life was significantly less for them now the Europeans had taken over, the seeds of revolution and dissent were sown, later to become vital players in Mexican politics.
In 1519, the mainland of Mexico was invaded by Hernan Cortes, who quickly made alliances with the enemies of the Aztecs, thus strengthening his own power and making conquest and conversation much easier. He moved in on the Aztec capital with 600 soldiers, and the most fearsome weapon known to man: smallpox. This disease wiped out an estimated six million Aztecs, helping to even the numbers for the Spanish. By 1521, the Aztecs had admitted defeat, and the land that would be Mexico was declared “New Spain” and under control of the Spanish empire. The Aztec people were heavily discriminated against and very heavily taxed, as well as forced to convert to Roman-Catholicism, a factor that would play a huge part in shaping the political landscape.
This bringing of Old World politics, disease, and religion to the new world had a profound impact on the culture of the Mexican people. When mixed, the Aztec ways and the Spanish ways melded to become a definitively Mexican culture, but there would not be equality for quite some time after the invasion of Mexico. The establishment of the Roman-Catholic as the official religion of New Spain is probably the most important and long lasting change that was brought to Mexico. At the time, the Roman Catholic Church was the biggest power in the world, with many leaders of world powers subscribing to this religion, the Pope and the Vatican could basically enforce their will wherever they wanted to. This was also reflected in politics in the New World, as clergymen and others in high standing with the Church often became very wealthy and very powerful, often at the expense of the native born Mexicans. This sort of influence made the Catholic Church into a bigger world power than any single country could ever hope to be.
When Napoleon I took over Spain and declared his brother emperor of Mexico, an uneasy alliance between the conservative rich land owners and the liberals of Mexico was formed. The Conservatives favored the Bourbon Royal Family and their highly conservative policies, as opposed to Napoleons more liberal policies. The Liberals wanted Mexico to become democratic. Although the most unlikely of allies, they both agreed on one thing: that Mexico should be independent and ruled by Mexicans. When Miguel Hidalgo Costilla declared independence from Spain from the small town of Dolores on September 16th, 1810, a lengthy war with Spain ensued. When it was finally recognized as an independent nation in 1821, Agustin de Iturbide was crowned emperor of the newly independent Mexico, which was based on “The Three Guarantees” which were that the country would be ruled by a deposed European monarch, slavery and forced labor would be abolished, and there would be equal rights for “criollos” and “peninsulares” who people of both Spanish and Mexican descent.
This was for independence showed the Mexicans desire for self-rule, as well as their willingness to fight for it. However, it was also the start of the great divide between the liberals and the conservatives, a schism that shows itself even today. The basic ideological disagreements between these groups would soon boil over. This of course sets the stage for all current conflict in politics, not just in Mexico, but almost everywhere, where liberal and conservative political parties have been fighting for control.
In 1823, Agustin was forced to abdicate the throne by forces led by Guadalupe Victoria and Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. They established a republic, a republic which saw Santa Anna elected president over 7 different times, a war with the United States, in which Mexico lost over half its land, President Ignacio Comonfort trying to declare himself a moderate and draft a constitution which took away some of the Catholic Churchs powers and did not mandate that it be the official religion of the country, which led to a revolt. This revolt is one of the most important in Mexican history, as it brought to prominence its greatest leader. From 1857 to 1861, the conservatives fought the liberals and the moderates for control of country. The War of Reform ended in victory for the Liberals, and their President, Benito Juarez, took power and moved his administration to the former conservative stronghold of Mexico City.
This of course held importance for the development of political culture of Mexico because it was physical conflict that demonstrated that the Mexican people (particularly the middle and lower classes) were tired of the Catholic oppression and the chokehold they held on Mexicos political and economic scene for so many years. The physical battle between the liberals and conservatives was representative of past disagreements as well as a precursor for the struggle for power that will continue throughout history of Mexico. In many ways, it was not unlike America today, with the constant argument between the liberals and conservatives that leads to much dividedness in the country. While it is highly unlikely that America would resort to an all out war to settle its political differences, it sometimes
s a little ironic to see such a war take place in a nation that is more closely aligned with capitalism and republicanism than any other country of his. The war had its roots in the struggle in Mexico between capitalism and the communists, both of which were opposed to the latter in a much broader fashion and as such are also opposed to the former on a number of levels. The revolutionary struggle was fought in the midst of the revolution that put a stop to all of this with the end of state capitalism as a viable solution to many of the problems that faced Mexico. To quote one of my most memorable comments that was recorded for a number of years in “History and Politics” (1978-1981), “The American Revolution could not have been conceived without that fight, and it is perhaps the most important victory of all in the last ten years…. I consider this the greatest political victory, and I never doubted that the American masses who could no longer be a part of the government or military apparatus, would not return to the country anymore…” In other words, after the revolution was over, a government had been installed in Mexico that did not only stand up against the state capitalist regime, but it was a powerful force to go on a mission to ensure all Mexicans were kept in their place and ensured full independence and sovereignty for all citizens. While the struggle against the dictatorship in Mexico was not in its original orientation, a government which did not only stand up for Mexico, but was also one that was determined by the people and respected by everyone, and in particular by the people of Mexico who had supported the people, it also did a huge disservice to the state system that it was that they had been given control of by what many consider the “new political class”. The process did not end in the defeat of the government which was only partially realized and this is where the political movement will play its role in Mexico for the coming decades. While it will be interesting to see which of the first wave of social democrats will lead our country’s revolutionary party to a victory, for political reasons it can be argued that it also may not come to terms with the consequences of American hegemony and domination upon the entire world. The economic crisis of the current economic crisis has taken a long time for the Mexican people and has not gone away. It is still going and that is why I believe we are already seeing the beginning of a change happening in the Mexican economy in the next few months. The current economic crisis in the United States has been a major one for Mexican working people who have been struggling to live a decent living over the last twenty years. After the collapse of the dot-com bubble, American control gave way to American control over many aspects of life and it continues to this day. In other words the result is very much the same situation that we have experienced with American control today: the collapse of the American economy. The only thing missing was a political party for Mexicans who had stood up for them in front of their government in 2011, but had been forced to walk out of the country by the Federal Trade Commission and into American service. I believe that even now more important than the US and Mexico being united in their struggles lies what is called, “the future of United States. It is a world of history and destiny” (1984