Everyday Life and Politics in Nineteenth Century Mexico: Men, Women, and War

by Mark Wasserman

In this new and masterful synthesis, Wasserman shows the link between ordinary men and women-preoccupied with the demands of feeding, clothing, and providing shelter-and the elites' desire for a stable political order and an expanding economy. The three key figures of nineteenth-century Mexico-Antonio López de Santa Ana, Benito Juárez, and Porfirio Díaz-are engagingly reinterpreted. But the emphasis in this book is on the struggle of the common people to retain control over their everyday lives. Concerns central to village life were the appointment of police officials, imposition of taxes on Indians, the trustworthiness of local priests, and changes inland ownership. Communities often followed their leaders into one political camp or another-and even into war-out of loyalty. Excesses in partisan politics and regional antagonisms gave rise to nearly eighty years of war, resulting in the nation's economic stagnation between 1821 and 1880 and the mass migration of women from the countryside to the city. The industrialization of urban employment forever altered gender relations. During wartime, women acted as the supply, transportation, and medical corps of the Mexican armies. Moreover, with greater frequency than has been known, women fought as soldiers in the nineteenth century. This account of Mexico from Independence to the Revolution combines lively explanations of social history, political and economic change, and gender relations. Wasserman offers a well-written, thoughtful, and original history of Mexico's nineteenth century that will appeal to students and specialists alike.
"At long last, a clear-headed, non-romanticized, and non-adversarial analysis of everyday life and politics across the vast sweep of a century of change and rebirth. This is a first-rate book, expert and highly accessible."--Professor Timothy E. Anna, University of Manitoba

Genres: History, Latin American History, Nonfiction

262 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2000

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book in my Mexican History class that we (I) read.

[Tom Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent historical survey of a complex situation over a long period of time, but didn't end up feeling like a full meal.

[Charlotte Piwowar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I also read this book for a class...and probably would not have finished it otherwise. If you are looking for a solid, textbook read of Mexico in the nineteenth century, then this is a great bet. It is very well organized and thoroughly details the events, politics, and chaos of the time period. What I liked best were the alternating chapters on culture and daily life. I found these chapters to be a little more lively and less dry compared to the political history and chronology of events. I wouldn't recommend this if you are looking for an engaging or exciting text about this turbulent and important period of Mexican history though.

[Tia Malkin-fontecchio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I assigned this book in my Mexican history class. I liked the structure of the book and I think the majority of students did as well. For each period covered, the author included a biographical profile of the most significant political leader (Santa Anna, Juarez and Diaz), and chapters on politics, the economy and everyday life. The chapters on politics and the economy were quite thorough. The weakest chapters were on everyday life. The class agreed that the author failed to really meet his goal of covering the experience of women. The treatment of women was superficial at best. Overall though a good book for an introductory Mexican history course.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book about the relationship between politics and everyday life in Mexico, above all focusing on war and economics and how that impacted life for ordinary Mexicans.

The book is roughly divided into thirds, focusing on each of the three major periods: Independence to Guadalupe Hidalgo from 1821 - 1848, Santa Ana's last presidency and the Reform Era dominated by Benito Júarez and Lerdo from 1849 - 1876, and Porfirio Díaz from 1877 - 1910. Within that, the book explores how the different facets of large-scale political conflicts and economic changes impacted the local regions (and how they in turn responded to these changes).