CONSTITUTIONALIST MOVEMENT: CAUSES, DEVELOPMENT, CHARACTERS - HISTORY - 2025

The constitutional movement was generated in the second stage of the Mexican Revolution. It is usually framed chronologically between the years 1913 and 1917, when a new Constitution was proclaimed with more social and democratic legislation.

The antecedents of this movement are in the dictatorship of Victoriano Huerta after the democratic parenthesis of the government of Francisco I. Madero, who succeeded Porfirio Díaz after his three decades in power. The leader of the movement was Venustiano Carranza, who was accompanied by Álvaro Obregón, Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa, among others.

The proclamation of the so-called Plan of Guadalupe by Carranza began the revolt that led to the dismissal of Huerta. After the Constitutionalists came to power, some differences emerged between them.

This was much more evident in the case of Zapata and Villa, who continued the struggle for the rights of the peasants, disappointed with Carranza's tepid concessions. The Constitution of 1917 is considered as the end of that second stage of the Revolution and of the constitutional movement.

Causes of the constitutional movement

Background

The long period known as the Porfiriato marked an entire era in Mexico. The Porfirio Díaz government, with a brief hiatus, had lasted almost 30 years and his authoritarianism and lack of social policies had provoked the anger of the people.

In 1910 the opposition was organized around the figure of Francisco I Madero, who presented his candidacy in the elections. Diaz's first reaction was to arrest him and continue in power.

Madero and his followers then took up arms: the Mexican Revolution had begun. Díaz was forced to resign and Madero assumed office in May 1911.

The mandate did not last long, since two years later a coup d'etat removed him from the presidency. It was a military man and politician named Victoriano Huerta who led the coup, with the support of the United States ambassador. On February 22, 1913, Madero was assassinated and Huerta came to power.

Immediately, the forces defending democracy reacted to the coup throughout the country. The character with the most impact was the governor of Coahuila, Venustiano Carranza. The Plan of Guadalupe drawn up by him demanded a return to constitutional order.

Movement development

Guadalupe Plan

The proclamation of the Plan of Guadalupe is the true beginning of the constitutional movement. It was presented on March 26, 1913 and, as the first point, it denied the recognition as president of Victoriano Huerta. In the same way, he declared the intention to call elections once they obtained his dismissal.

The name of the plan comes from the place where it was signed: the Hacienda de Guadalupe, in Coahuila. The document also named Carranza as commander-in-chief of the Constitutionalist Army.

Once the uprising was successful, the plan indicated that an interim government would be established, also under Carranza, until the elections were called.

At the military level, the movement had the support of some of the agrarian leaders of the time, such as Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa. The formed army developed with great success and speed, and in a few months they had reached their objective.

Aguascalientes Plan

The Treaties of Teoloyucan, signed on August 13, 1914, certified the triumph of the constitutionalist forces. His troops entered the capital after Huerta resigned and went into exile.

The next step that the movement took was to convene a national convention in Aguascalientes to try to achieve a consensus among the different factions that had participated in the Revolution.

Zapata and Villa, who demanded a deep agrarian reform and policies that favored the most disadvantaged sectors, were removed from these agreements. Carranza's claims were more to consolidate the new democratic political structure.

In any case, it is true that the constitutionalist movement gradually became much more social. In 1914 they promulgated a series of laws of social improvements that were pointing towards the future Constitution.

Carranza's own words about it were very significant: "all the laws, provisions and measures will be aimed at satisfying the economic, social and political needs of the country, carrying out the reforms that public opinion requires."

Constitution of 1917

During the last years of the movement, it was dedicated to improving the democratic health of the country. In this way, he made an effort to integrate the advances brought by the Revolution into a new Constitution.

To make the change profound, they gave up reforming the Magna Carta drawn up in the 1950s of the previous century. Instead, they went to work on a new one.

The Constitution promulgated in 1917 collected all the principles that the revolutionaries wanted. All the articles contain a clear intention to carry out social policies that will help the majority of the people. The judiciary was also reformed, trying to make it more egalitarian.

Main characters

Venustiano Carranza

Venustiano Carranza is considered one of the main figures of the Revolution. In addition to being a politician, he stood out for his military and business work.

He was appointed first head of the Constitutional Army and president of Mexico in a constitutional manner from 1917 to 1920.

Alvaro Obregon

This politician and soldier was another of the protagonists of the Revolution, standing out in the military campaign. He became president of the country between 1920 and 1924.

Emiliano Zapata

Emiliano Zapata was one of the most prominent revolutionary leaders of the time. He belonged to the agrarian sector, which sought to achieve an agrarian reform that favored the peasants.

At first he supported Carranza, but later he fought against him considering that his social policies were very lukewarm.

Francisco Villa

Like Zapata, he was a great defender of the country's peasants. During the uprising against Huerta, he had a very prominent role leading the Northern Division. He returned to arms after not being satisfied with the Carranza government.

References

1. Mexico history. The Constitutionalist Movement. Obtained from historiademexicobreve.com
2. from Arenal Fenochio, Jaime. Constitutionalist Movement in Mexico. Obtained from mexico.leyderecho.org
3. Flores Rangel, Juan José. History of Mexico II. Recovered from books.google.es
4. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. Venustiano Carranza. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. La Botz, Dan. Democracy in Mexico: Peasant Rebellion and Political Reform. Recovered from books.google.es
6. Knight, Alan. The Mexican Revolution. Retrieved from historytoday.com
7. McLeish, JL High Lights of the Mexican Revolution. Recovered from heritage-history.com
8. Teaching Guide. Faces of the Mexican Revolution. Retrieved from academics.utep.edu