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Porfirio Diaz became President after he defeated the government forces at the Battle of Tecoac in November 1876. -
In 1879 were an revolt in Veracruz, that was the uprising of Lerdo, however, Diaz suppresed the attack
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Gonzalez dissatisfied Diaz -
Diaz was elected in 1884, he produced an orderly and sytematic government with a military spirit. -
His legislature was composed of his friends, and the press was muffled, he also maintained tight control over the courts. -
When Díaz came to power, the Mexican government was in debt and had very little cash reserves. Therefore, he enthusiastically encouraged investment by foreigners. -
The Indians, who formed a full third of the population, were ignored. -
By catering to the needs of separate groups and playing off one interest agaisnt another.
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By supplying them with political jobs. -
They were cooperative in return for the government’s noninterference in their haciendas and for positions of honour in the administration. -
Diaz with the support of his two principal advisers, were responsible to build railroads and bridges. -
The new wealth of Mexico was not distributed throughout the country; most of the profits went abroad or stayed in the hands of a very few wealthy Mexicans. -
On February 17, 1908, in an interview with a reporter for Pearson’s Magazine, Díaz announced his retirement. Immediately opposition and progovernment groups began to scramble to find suitable presidential candidates -
Then, as plans were being formalized, Díaz decided not to retire but to allow Francisco Madero, an aristocratic but democratically inclined reformer, to run against him. Madero lost the election, as was expected. -
By 1910 the economy had declined and national revenues were shrinking, which necessitated borrowing. With wages decreasing, strikes were frequent. Agricultural workers were faced with extreme poverty and debt peonage. -
When Francisco I Madero resorted to a military revolution, the government proved surprisingly weak and collapsed. Díaz resigned office on May 25, 1911, and went into exile.