Mexico's Crucial Century 1810-1910

<p> </p><p>After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821 it began the work of forging its identity as an independent nation a process that would endure throughout the crucial nineteenth century. A weakened Mexico faced American territorial ambitions and economic pressure and the U.S.-Mexican War threatened the fledgling nation’s survival. In 1876 Porfirio Díaz became president of Mexico bringing political stability to the troubled nation. Although Díaz initiated long-delayed economic development and laid the foundation of modern Mexico his government was an oligarchy created at the expense of most Mexicans.</p><p>This accessible account guides the reader through a pivotal time in Mexican history including such critical episodes as the reign of Santa Anna the U.S.-Mexican War and the Porfiriato. Colin M. MacLachlan and William H. Beezley recount how the century between Mexico’s independence and the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution had a lasting impact on the course of the nation’s history.</p><p>Colin M. MacLachlan is the John Christie Barr Distinguished Professor of History at Tulane University. He has written numerous historical works including <em>Spain’s Empire in the New World: The Role of Ideas in Institutional and Social Change; Argentina: What Went Wrong</em>; and (with William H. Beezley) <em>Mexicans in Revolution 1910–1946</em> (Nebraska 2009). William H. Beezley is a professor of history at the University of Arizona. He is the author or editor of many books including <em>Judas at the Jockey Club and Other Episodes of Porfirian Mexico</em> (2nd ed.) available in a Bison Books edition and <em>The Oxford History of Mexico</em>.</p>