The Fall of the Dictator: Porfirio Diaz Quiz

Answer: James Creelman

The Diaz-Creelman interview took place in 1908, in the Castle of Chapultepec. In the interview, Diaz stated that Mexico, after decades, was finally ready for democracy, and promised not to be a candidate for the 1910 presidential elections. However, he did not keep that promise, a fact that is known to be one of the causes of the Mexican Revolution. After the interview spread all around Mexico, dozens of political movements started seeking the presidency.

The journalist in charge of the interview, James Creelman, was a Canadian reporter who worked in the United States for most of his life. He covered important events such as the Sino-Japanese War and the Cuban War of Independence.

Answer: The Flores Magon brothers

Jesus, Ricardo and Enrique Flores Magon are considered the first Mexicans to actively seek a revolution against Diaz. They published the newspaper "Regeneracion" (Regeneration), which spoke out against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. This led to the Flores Magon brothers being jailed on several occasions. Even though their party was "liberal", the Flores Magon brothers were also had anarchist tendencies.

The Mexican Liberal Party's main objectives were to overthrow Diaz and to improve the job conditions of workers.

Answer: Cananea Consolidated Copper Company

In June of 1906, workers of the Cananea Consolidated Copper Company, in Cananea, Sonora, most notably miners, declared themselves in strike, asking for better working conditions, since foreign workers had better conditions than them. The results were tragic: more than 20 people died, the workers were violently repressed, and no change in their working conditions was made in the company owned by Colonel William C. Greene. However, this strike is considered an important precedent to the Mexican Revolution.

Another important strike happened in Rio Blanco, located in Orizaba, Veracruz. The workers wanted to get paid in cash and not with vouchers, and a woman broke in a store and tried to steal from it, which angered the government. Diaz sent the army to finish the strike, and, showing no remorse at all, ordered the starters of the strike to be executed in front of their families.

Answer: William Howard Taft

Presidents Porfirio Diaz and William Howard Taft met at the border, in both El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. This was the first time ever presidents of Mexico and the United States held a meeting. Even though supposedly Taft and Diaz made bilateral agreements, Taft suggested Diaz retire because of his age.

The U.S. did not want Diaz in power since he had negotiated petroleum with European countries. The United States later supported revolutionary movements against Diaz.

Answer: Secretary of Finance and Public Credit

Jose Yves Limantour was born in Mexico from French parents. In 1893, he was designated as Secretary of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico, a position he held until Diaz's term ended. Limantour did an excellent job, and he wanted to be the next president after Diaz, although the Constitution would need to change since his parents weren't Mexican.

Bernardo Reyes, an excellent Mexican military man, posed a danger for Diaz and he knew it, which is why he was sent to Germany to study military tactics.

Answer: Ramon Corral

Ramon Corral was the vice president of Mexico from 1904 to 1911. He was a loyal Porfirist throughout his political career, and held several offices, such as Governor of Sonora and Secretary of State. The 1910 elections were very obviously fraudulent, since Diaz and Corral, representing the National Reelectionist Party, won with more than 97% of total votes, and supposedly, Francisco I. Madero only got 1%. Madero was later jailed.

Answer: November 20

Through the San Luis Plan, Madero invited the Mexican people to rise in arms on November 20, 1910, as well as vaguely offering lands for those who didn't have them. Madero was a bit innocent, since he gave the exact time and date when the uprising would take place, giving Diaz enough time to stop the movement. Diaz thought this movement was one more of many that had failed and could be easily repressed, but he was later proven wrong.

Answer: Puebla

On November 18, 1910, the conspiracy that planned to overthrow Diaz was discovered, and the army was sent to fight the brothers Aquiles and Maximo Serdan. They both died; however, this marked the official start of the Mexican Revolution. Many movements originated in many parts of the country.

Answer: Ciudad Juarez

In 1911, Francisco Villa, Pascual Orozco and Abraham Gonzalez suggested that Madero attack Ciudad Juarez, since it was a strategic location (right on the border) and would create a problem for the economy because many train routes passed through that city.

This was never officially authorized by Madero, who insisted on resolving things peacefully. Diaz tried to negotiate, but he failed, and was forced to sign the Treaties of Ciudad Juarez, where he resigned as president. Upon leaving, he said "Madero freed a tiger, and he won't be able to tame it".

Answer: Paris

Aboard the German ship Ypiranga, Porfirio Diaz fled Mexico after signing the Treaties of Ciudad Juarez, and went to France. He would spend the rest of his life in Paris, and he would die in 1915.

Dian's dictatorship was over, which was the initial objective of the Mexican Revolution. However, instead of ending, the revolution had just begun when Diaz left power, and would carry on for a long time.