Compare and contrast the aims of Francisco Madero and Venustiano Carranza during the Mexican Revolution 1.

Compare: a. Both were committed to destroy Diazs regime. b. Both made promises of agrarian reform but neither saw distribution of land as the key issue since they believed that only large landholders would permit Mexican agriculture to modernize. c. Both spoke about social issues and workers rights, and both promised democracy but interpreted it as a democracy of the elite. d. Both believed in capitalism. e. Both addressed more political issues than social concerns. f. Both were political moderates and wanted reform rather than a real revolution. Contrast: a. Although both were nationalists, Carranza was more outspoken about Mexicos rights and sovereignty. b. Madero was an idealist his democracy was an instrument of social control by the elite that would promote the acceptance of capitalism through the granting of limited political and social reforms to the masses, with a stress on education. i. His political aims were for free and honest elections, municipal autonomy, improvement of the material, intellectual, and moral condition of workers, the need to curb drinking and gambling, and he saw free public education as crucial for social ills. ii. He called for electoral reforms and his key idea was effective suffrage and no re-election. c. Carranza was a pragmatist his goal was political and economic stabilization. i. He supported constitutional democracy, headed by a strong leader, and while he accepted that the people had to be considered, he did not see them as able to participate in the government. ii. He initiated the process that led to the Constitution of 1917; however he refused to implement the more radical provisions of the document.

2.

Madero: Leader of the Anti-Re-election Movement, 19081909. Madero set up shop in San Antonio, Texas, and quickly issued his Plan of San Luis Potos, which had been written during his time in prison, partly with the help of Ramn Lpez Velarde. The Plan proclaimed the elections of 1910 null and void, and called for an armed revolution to begin at 6 pm on November 20, 1910, against the "illegitimate presidency/dictatorship of Daz". Madero President of Mexico, November 1911 February 1913 Carranza: By 1908, it was widely assumed that Carranza would be the next governor of Coahuila. In 1909, Carranza received Porfirio Daz's permission to declare himself as candidate to replace Miguel Crdenas as Governor of Coahuila. However, Porfirio Daz ultimately did not support Carranza in this race, with the result that Carranza lost the election, leaving Carranza angry with Porfirio Daz. Carranza followed Francisco Madero's Anti-Re-election Movement of 1910 with interest, and after Madero fled to the US and Daz was reelected as president, Carranza traveled to San Antonio, Texas to join Madero. Madero named Carranza provisional Governor of Coahuila. The Plan of San Luis Potos, which Madero issued at this time, called for a revolution beginning 20 November 1910. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914, and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted.