Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza (1859-1920) was a prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution and served as the President of Mexico from 1917 to 1920. Born into an upper-middle-class family in Coahuila, Carranza received a solid education and initially engaged in local politics, opposing corruption in his state. He became a key supporter of Francisco Madero's anti-reelection campaign, which ultimately led to the ousting of long-time President Porfirio Díaz. Carranza is particularly noted for helping to draft the 1917 Mexican Constitution, though his presidency faced criticism for failing to implement many of its progressive provisions.
His leadership was marked by political turmoil and conflict with other revolutionary leaders, including Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Despite some achievements, such as educational reforms and increased government oversight of foreign investments, Carranza's presidency ended in violence as he lost support and was ultimately assassinated in 1920. Today, he is often regarded as one of the key figures in the revolutionary movement and remains a subject of cultural significance in Mexico. His legacy includes a complex narrative of nationalistic ideals and attempts at political reform during a turbulent period in Mexican history.
Venustiano Carranza
Revolutionary leader, politician
- Born: December 29, 1859
- Place of Birth: Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico
- Died: May 21, 1920
- Place of Death: Tlaxcalantongo, Puebla, Mexico
Education: National Preparatory School; National School of Medicine
Significance: Venustiano Carranza was a Mexican revolutionary who served as president of Mexico from 1917 to 1920. Involved in politics for much of his life, Carranza was a key player in the Mexican Revolution of the early 1900s. He helped design the Mexican constitution of 1917, but he failed to enact many of the policies laid out in the document following his election to the presidency. He was assassinated in 1920 following an uprising led by Álvaro Obregón.
Background
Venustiano Carranza was born on December 29, 1859, in Cuatro Ciénegas in the state of Coahuila, Mexico. His family was of the upper middle class and owned land. His father had once served as an officer in the army of famed liberal reform leader Benito Juárez in the 1860s. The Carranzas' social status afforded their son the opportunity to receive a good education. He attended the prestigious National Preparatory School in Mexico City and later the National School of Medicine. He later returned to Coahuila and became involved in the family's ranching business.
Carranza became interested in politics upon his return to Coahuila and was elected municipal president of the town. In 1893, Carranza and his brothers found themselves opposing the corrupt practices of Coahuila governor José María Garza, a close friend of Mexican president Porfirio Díaz. Carranza was able to exert enough influence to obtain a nomination for a new governor, and in the process, he and his brothers made a number of important political connections.
In 1904, Carranza was elected to the national senate, serving in this position until 1912. In his role as senator, Carranza created new legal provisions to help regulate foreign investors. He was denied the position of Coahuila governor after President Díaz failed to confirm his nomination. In reaction, Carranza eventually became a supporter of Francisco Madero's anti-reelection movement and his 1910 presidential campaign. Madero was jailed shortly before the elections, but he escaped and fled to Texas, where he organized his rebellion. Madero's uprising led to Díaz's resignation.
Life's Work
Carranza did not directly contribute to Madero's revolution plans, but his support of the leader earned him the position of minister of war when Madero was officially elected on May 25, 1911. Carranza was named governor of Coahuila in 1911. He accomplished much in his position, including instituting a municipal democracy and educational reforms. He also improved working conditions and health facilities and introduced progressive taxation policies.
Carranza's time as governor of Coahuila ended in 1913 when Madero's government was overthrown by the forces of General Victoriano Huerta. Madero was assassinated and Huerta named himself the new president. Carranza refused to recognize Huerta as his president, however, and in March of 1913, he issued his Plan de Guadalupe, which asked his fellow governors to renounce Huerta's presidency and transition to a new government. Carranza also organized an army to fight against Huerta's forces. He tenuously aligned himself with other Mexican revolutionary leaders Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Álvaro Obregón during this period of revolt. The group's combined forces eventually led to the successful ousting of Huerta in July of 1914, but soon disorder broke out as each leader struggled for power.
Carranza hoped to unite the different revolutionary factions at a meeting he organized in October of 1914, but unfortunately, the meeting ended in further divisions. Supporters of Carranza and Obregón found themselves pitted against supporters of Villa and Zapata. Carranza's forces were booted out of Mexico City, forcing Carranza to establish an alternate capital in the city of Veracruz. During this period, Mexico fell into a state of disarray as various states entered into their own individual civil wars. Villa and Zapata eventually turned against each other. Carranza recaptured Mexico City and drove Villa's army into the north. His forces also contained Zapata's forces for the time being.
Carranza received support from the United States in 1915. The US government offered diplomatic recognition to the new regime. Carranza helped draft a new constitution in 1916 and also instituted several reforms that regulated banks, increased government authority in matters of foreign investments, and redistributed lands to Mexican peasants. Carranza was elected president under the new constitution on May 1, 1917.
Carranza brought about little change in Mexico during his presidency. His main concern was political reform over social and economic change. Little progress was made in education and the nation's literacy rates, although schools for the deaf, blind, and intellectually disabled were introduced across the country. Carranza also built technical and industrial schools. His regime emphasized nationalism and had school text books developed that featured strong nationalist views.
The new president continued to face conflict with Zapata's forces up until Zapata's assassination in 1919. He also decided to remain neutral when the United States entered World War I (1914–1918) in 1917. His actions, and his failure to follow through with many of the provisions outlined in the new constitution, lost him a good deal of support in the United States and among his colleagues during these years. A retired Obregón decided to run as the successor to Carranza's presidency in 1919, but Carranza had his own candidate in mind. Carranza attempted to violently silence Obregón's supporters. As a result, Obregón renewed the revolution and marched an army into Mexico City in the spring of 1920, driving Carranza and his forces out of the city and into Veracruz. Carranza's train was attacked, and he was forced to flee by land. He sought refuge in the mountain region of Tlaxcalantongo and was received by a local chieftain named Rodolfo Herrera. Herrera's men betrayed Carranza, however, opening fire on his camp in the night. He was shot and killed on May 21, 1920.
Impact
Although Carranza's stubborn pursuit of nationalistic causes led to his demise, he managed to provide Mexico with some stability during his time as president. He is often remembered among the "Big Four" of Mexican revolutionaries, which also includes Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Alvaro Obregón. Carranza supervised the creation of Mexico's constitution, a document still in use today. His personality is a popular inclusion within the songs and legends of northern Mexico.
Carranza's former home, a mansion on North Flores Street in what became San Antonio, Texas, is one of the few remaining physical reminders of this time in North American history. The building, which is owned by a niece of Carranza, was a frequent meeting site for Mexican Revolutionaries and bears a plaque noting its significance. However, the building sat empty for many years and in 2023, a fire broke out there, threatening the historic structure. The city's Office of Historic Preservation and the fire department were taking steps to preserve Carranza's home and other vacant historic structures in the city.
Personal Life
Carranza was married to Virginia Salinas, with whom he had two daughters: Virginia and Julia. After his first wife died, he married a woman who taught at Saltillo University. The couple had several more children together.
Bibliography
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Degollado, Jessie and William Caldera. "Vacant house with Historic Connection to Mexican Revolution Damaged by Fire." KSat.com, 8 June 2023, www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/06/08/vacant-house-with-historic-connection-to-mexican-revolution-damaged-by-fire/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Minster, Christopher. "Biography of Venustiano Carranza." ThoughtCo.com, 19 June 2017, www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-venustiano-carranza-2136500. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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