Poblacion, tierra y sociedad en Mexico: Aguascalientes en El Ojo del Huracan, 1868-1938
Description
The Mexican state of Aguascalientes experienced dramatic social and demographic change during the years from 1868 to 1938. During the Revolutionary period Aguascalientes, often thought of as a peaceful region amidst chaos, witnessed demographic upheaval which greatly affected the population, land tenure and society of Aguascalientes Revisionist scholars have argued that the Porfirian era led to the rise of small family land holdings ('ranchos'), beside the great landed estates ('haciendas'). However, based on the information of several underused contemporary sources, this dissertation argues that the Porfirian era in Aguascalientes was dominated by the large landed estate and the land fragmentation was a symptom of overpopulation which did not necessarily change the patterns of the land distribution. It thus argues that even in the less affected regions of Mexico, the Revolution indeed resulted in greater change than continuity The other changes ('the quiet revolution') that occurred in the society are explored in this dissertation through the first demographic transition characterized by the descent of mortality, achievements reached with the coordination of public health and the centralization of the revolutionary state. It describes also the mass women education as a key for future changes in the 'cultural revolution' that implied the homogenization of the public services at national level Insisting in the changes more than in the continuities that resulted from the Mexican revolution, this dissertation attempts to offer a new 'old perspective' on the nature of social changes in Aguascalientes