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Nineteenth Century Urban Labor Precursors of the Mexican Revolution: The Development of an Ideology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

John M. Hart
John M. Hart*
Affiliation:
University of Houston, Houston, Texas
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Mexican industrialization, which began during the second half of the nineteenth century, was paralleled by the appearance of an urban labor movement. Industrialization resulted in a sudden concentration of new workers from the countryside in a few urban areas—especially Mexico City. Living conditions for the new city dwellers were generally intolerable and were compounded by chronic economic and political instability. Crowning the laborer's difficulty were the almost impossible working conditions in the new factories. The working class, virtually in self-defense, began to organize. Because the urban labor movement during the last third of the nineteenth century was a prelude to similar and more famous developments during the violent years of the early twentieth century, analysis of its causes, nature, and significance is essential for understanding an important aspect of the Mexican Revolution.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , January 1974 , pp. 297 - 318
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1974

References

* The author wishes to express his appreciation to the University of North Dakota Faculty Research Committee for summer research grants in 1971 and 1972 which made possible the necessary examination of archives in Mexico City, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.

1 Considerable analysis has been made of Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa, who were defeated by Alvaro Obregon and his army some of which was drawn from the urban labor movement, especially the Casa del Obrero Mundial. Yet there have been few attempts to evaluate the nature of the Mexican labor movement during the Revolution or its heritage from the nineteenth century. This article, concerned with the nineteenth-century labor movement, does not encompass the broad scope of nineteenth-century Mexican social history. For such background, see: González, y González, , Villegas, Emma Cosío and Monroy, Guadalupe, La República Restaurada, La Vida Social, and Moisés González Navarro, El Porfiriato, La Vida Social, both in Dani;l Cosío Villegas, ed., La Historia Moderna de México (8 vols., Editorial Hermes, México D. F., n. d.).Google Scholar For a Marxist view of nineteenth-century Mexican socialism, see Cantú, Gastón García, El Socialismo en México, Siglo XIX (Ediciones Era, México D. F., 1969).Google Scholar

2 El Socialista (México D.F.), No. 8, January 23, 1873.

3 For an intensive analysis of the European ideological and organizational influence upon Mexican anarchism and the nineteenth-century labor movement, the differences between urban and rural anarchism, biographical data on the leaders of the movement, and the reactions of orthodox Mexicans see Hart, John M., “Anarchist Thought in Nineteenth Century Mexico,” Ph. D. dissertation, the University of California at Los Angeles, December 1970.Google Scholar

4 “Pequeña Biografía de Plotino C. Rhodakanty,” La Paz, (Chilpancingo, México), No. 13, March 17, 1873; also José Valadés, Mexico City, to Max Nettlau, Aprii 26, 1924, Nettlau Archive, Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis, Amsterdam.

5 El Obrero Internacional (México D. F.), No. 2, September 7, 1874.

6 Valadés, , “Sobre los Orígenes del Movimiento Obrero en México,” La Protesta, (Buenos Aires), June 1927, p. 72.Google Scholar A complete collection of La Protesta, which published many articles pertinent to Mexican anarchism, can be found in the Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis. See also El Obrero Internacional, No. 2, September 7, 1874; and El Socialista, No. 12, August 25, 1872.

7 La Internacional (México D.F.), No. 3, July 21, 1878.

8 Ramírez, Manuel Díaz, Apuntes Históricos del Movimiento Obrero y Campesino de México 1844–1880 (Fondo de Cultura Popular, México D. F., 1938), 77.Google Scholar

9 Valadés, , “Precursores del Socialismo Antiautoritario en México,” La Protesta, May 22, 1928, p. 411.Google Scholar

10 Ramírez, Díaz, Apuntes, p. 31–32.Google Scholar

11 Diario del Imperio,(México D. F.), June 19, 1865.

12 “Biografía,” La Paz, March 17, 1873.

13 Ramírez, Díaz, Apuntes, p. 32.Google Scholar

14 El Hijo del Trabajo (México D.F.), No. 82, February 17, 1878.

15 Aparicio, Alfonso López, El Movimiento Obrero en México (Editorial Jus, México D. F., 1958), 107 Google Scholar; and El Socialista, No. 10, 1872.

16 Díaz Ramírez, Apuntes, p. 33–34; and Salazar, Lino Medina, “Albores del Movimiento Obrero en Mexico,” Historia y Sociedad, 4, (Mexico D. F.,Invierno 1965), p. 60.Google Scholar

17 Ramírez, Díaz, Apuntes, p. 33–34 Google Scholar; and Salazar, Medina, “Albores del Movimiento Obrero en México,” Historia y Sociedad, 4, (Invierno, 1965), p. 60.Google Scholar

18 El Hijo, Nos. 4, May 9, 1876; and 12, July 9, 1876.

19 Quoted by Ramírez, Díaz, Apuntes, p. 37–38 Google Scholar; see also Juan Cano to Benito Juárez; May 23, 1870, Documento 8164, Archivo Juárez, Gabinete de Manuscritos re la Biblioteca Nacional de Mexico.

20 “Manifesto of La Social,” El Socialista, No. 4, May 9, 1876.

21 El Socialista, Nos. 1, July 9, 1871; and 61, March 1, 1874.

22 El Socialista, No. 15, September 29, 1872.

23 Ibid.; and González, José María, “Nuestra Opinion,” El Hijo, No. 54, August 5, 1877 Google Scholar; and“Ante Un Cadaver O Ante Una Fiera,” El Hijo, No. 88, March 31, 1878.

24 El Socialista, No. 11, March 16, 1873.

25 El Hijo, No. 28, December 17, 1876.

26 El Socialista, Nos. 15, October 15, 1871; and 19, November 12, 1871.

27 El Socialista, No. 15, September 29, 1872.

28 El Socialista, No. 37, November 23, 1873.

29 El Socialista, No. 7, August 4,1872.

30 El Socialista, No. 9, August 18, 1872; also see the articles by Velatti, Ricardo in El Obrero Internacional, Nos. 10, November 3, 1874 Google Scholar; and 14, December 1, 1874.

31 El Obrero Internacional, Nos. 6, October 6, 1874; and 7, October 13, 1874.

32 El Obrero Internacional, No. 1, August 31, 1874.

33 Ibid.

34 González, , “Las Sociedades Mutualistas,” El Hijo, No. 16, August 6, 1876.Google Scholar

35 For a discussion of the agrarian aspects of this question see Hart, , “Agrarian Pre-cursors of the Mexican Revolution: The Development of an Ideology,” The Americas, October 1972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar This is what happened between 1934 and 1939 in the Levant and Old Aragon in Spain; see Thomas, Hugh, “Agrarian Anarchist Collectives in the Spanish Civil War,” in Gilbert, Martin, editor, A Century of Conflict, 1850–1950: Essays for Taylor, A.J.P. (Atheneum Publishers, New York, 1967), 245–263.Google Scholar

36 Coria, Rosendo Rojas, Tratado de Cooperativismo Mexicano (Fondo de Cultura Económica, México, D.F., 1952), 186 and 125.Google Scholar The book was Garrido’s, Fernando Historiade las Asociaciones Obreras en Europa (Barcelona, May 28, 1864,)Google Scholar available in the Biblioteca Arus, Barcelona. Garrido was one of Spain’s leading “libertarian socialist” intellectuals at the time.

37 El Socialista, No. 38, September 21, 1873.

38 Muñuzuri, José, article in El Hijo, No. 18, August 20, 1876.Google Scholar

39 El Obrero Internacional, No. 9, October 27, 1874.

40 El Hijo, Nos. 3, May 1, 1876; 6, May 22, 1876; 11, July 2. 1876; and 19, August 27, 1876.

41 The first recorded reference to a national workers’ congress can be found in “Los Obreros de San Luis Potosí,” El Socialista, No. 15, October 15, 1871. This need was discussed repeatedly in the pages of El Hijo in 1876, El Obrero Internacional in 1874 and in El Socialista during the period from late in 1875 throughout 1876.

42 El Socialista, No. 165, February 27, 1876.

43 El Socialista, No. 166, March 5, 1876.

44 El Socialista, No. 168, March 21, 1876.

45 For example see El Socialista, No. 180, June 11, 1876.

46 “Manifesto,” El Socialista, No. 173, Aprii 23, 1876.

47 El Hijo, No. 4, May 9, 1876.

48 El Socialista, No. 175, May 7, 1876; and El Hijo, No. 4, May 9, 1876.

49 El Hijo, No. 6, May 22, 1876. Also see the article by Juana la Progresista.

50 El Hijo, Nos. 178, December 20, 1879; and 199, May 16, 1880.

51 El Socialista, No. 180, June 11, 1876.

52 For example see the articles by Villareal, Juan and González, José María in El Hijo, No. 29, December 24, 1876.Google Scholar

53 El Socialista, No. 182, June 25, 1876.

54 See the numerous articles extolling the virtues of Díaz and the plan of Tuxtepec in El Hijo during 1876.

55 El Socialista, No. 182, June 25, 1876.

56 El Hijo, No. 27, December 14, 1876.

57 See El Hijo, Nos. 71, December 2, 1877; 72, December 9, 1877; and countless articles.

58 El Hijo, Nos. 80. February 3, 1878; and 82, February 17, 1878.

59 El Hijo, Nos. 141, April 6, 1879; and 142, April 13, 1879.

60 Ibid.

61 El Hijo, No. 199, May 16, 1880.

62 El Hijo, Nos. 196, April 25, 1880; and 199, May 16, 1880.

63 Ibid. Cadena had a long and impressive record of support for both the urban labor and agrarian movements. For details see Trinidad García de la Cadena, General de la Brigada, Expediente 15–395, Archivo Histórico de la Defensa Nacional (AHDN), México D. F.

64 El Socialista, No. 9t, December 18, 1879; El Hijo, Nos. 177, December 14, 1879; and 178, December 20, 1879.

65 La Internacional, Nos. 8, August 25, 1878; and 14, October 6, 1878.

66 El Socialista, No. 34, September 26, 1882.

67 Rhodakanty, , “El Estado es el Padrastro del Pueblo,” La Internacional, No. 7, August 18, 1878.Google Scholar

68 For example see any issue of La Internacional.

69 General Carlos Lueso, a ministerio de Guerra y Marina, Zacatecas, Octubre 25, 1886, Expediente 15–395, Documento 220, (AHDN); Noviembre 11, 1886, Expediente 218, ibid.; Documentos 204, Octubre 19, 1886; 214, Octobre 20, 1886; and 219, Noviembre 16, 1886, ibid. For a newspaper account see El Siglo XIX, (México D.F.), November 3, 1886. The practice of killing prsioners became common during the Porfiriato and was referred to as the Ley de Fuga— “killed while trying to escape.”

70 The working class press did not submit without protest. For example see Luigi, , “La Revolución es Necessaria,” El Hijo, No. 179, December 28, 1879 Google Scholar; and El Hijo, No. 241, March 6, 1881.

71 Ganz, Nathan, “What We Will and What We Will No,” and “War Against the Authorities by Various Methods and Means,” El Socialista, No. 1, January 10, 1881.Google Scholar See also, Valadés, Mexico City, to Nettlau, April 26, 1924, Nettlau Archive, Instituut Internationaal voor Sociale Geschiedenis. For a description of Ganz’ antics at the convention see Woodcock, George, Anarchism; A History of Libertarian Ideas and Movements (The World Publishing Company, Cleveland, 1962), 258.Google Scholar

72 Millán, Andrés Díaz, editorial in La Convención Radical, (México D.F.), No. 35, January 9, 1887.Google Scholar

73 For a brief biography of Ordóñez, see El Socialista, No. 24, June 30, 1881.Google Scholar

74 La Convención Radical, No. 35, January 9, 1887; and No. 36, January 16, 1887.

75 Mexico, de Fomento, Memoria, Colonización É Industria de la República Mexicana, 1883–1885 (México D.F., Tip. de la Secretaría de Fomento, 1887), 195–203 Google Scholar; and Mexico, de Fomento, Memoria, Colonización É Industria de la República Mexicana, 1892–1896 (México D.F., Tip. de la secretaría deFomento, 1897), 13–16.Google Scholar

76 Navarro, González, Las Huelgas Textiles en el Porfiriato (Editorial José M. Cajica Jr., Puebla, 1970), 29–44.Google Scholar For events in 1906–1907 see Anderson, Rodney, “The Mexican Textile Labor Movement, 1906–1907: An Analysis of Labor Crisis,” Ph.D. dissertation, The American University, Washington, D. C, June 1968.Google Scholar

77 An essay by a principal leader of the Casa del Obrero Mundial that demonstrated appreciation of the earlier accomplishments of Mexican labor was Jacinto Huitron, Orígenes é Historia del Movimento Obrero en México, unpublished manuscript.

78 For an examination of the Casa del Obrero Mundial see Salazar, Rosendo, Las Pugnas de la Gleba (2 vols., Editorial Avante, México D. F., 1917),Google Scholar and Pérez, Fernando Córdova, El Movimiento Anarquista en México (1911–1921), Licenciado Thesis, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D. F., 1971.Google Scholar