LA Revolucion

by Benjamin, Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780292708808
• ISBN10: 0292708807
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

The 1910 Revolution is still tangibly present in Mexico in the festivals that celebrate its victories, on the monuments to its heroes, and, most important, in the stories and memories of the Mexican people. Yet there has never been general agreement on what the revolution meant, what its objectives were, and whether they have been accomplished.This pathfinding book shows how Mexicans from 1910 through the 1950s interpreted the revolution, tried to make sense of it, and, through collective memory, myth-making, and history writing, invented an idea called "la Revolución." In part one, Thomas Benjamin follows the historical development of different and often opposing revolutionary traditions and the state' efforts to forge them into one unified and unifying narrative. In part two, he examines ways of remembering the past and making it relevant to the present through fiestas, monuments, and official history. This research clarifies how the revolution has served to authorize and legitimize political factions and particular regimes to the present day. Beyond the Mexican case, it demonstrates how history is used to serve the needs of the present.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
The Pantheon of National Heroes	1	(8)
Chronology of Events, 1810--1910	9	(4)
Introduction: The Revolution with a Capital Letter	13	(12)
Chronology of Events, 1911--1928	25	(6)
PART ONE: CONSTRUCTION	31	(62)
1911--1913: Every Event's Name Is Itself an Interpretation	37	(12)
1913--1920: Warring Authorities Mean Warring Pasts	49	(19)
1920--1928: Political Domination Involves Historical Definition	68	(25)
Chronology of Events, 1928--1968	79	(14)
PART TWO: PERFORMANCE	93	(64)
Festival: A Vigorous Mexico Arising	99	(18)
Monument: From the Ruins of the Old Regime	117	(20)
History: The Work of Concord and Unification	137	(20)
Chronology of Events, 1968--Present	153	(4)
Conclusion: Affirming and Subverting the Revolution	157	(10)
Notes	167	(38)
Sources	205	(2)
Bibliography	207	(26)
Index	233