Forge of Progress, Crucible of Revolt: Origins of the Mexican Revolution in LA Comarca Lagunera, 1880-1911

The Laguna region of north-central Mexico was the showcase for President Porfirio Diaz's (1876-1911) program of economic development and foreign investment. This book examines the social and economic consequences of the area's rapid modernization to explain the origins of prerevolutionary activity.

Following the arrival of the railroad in the early 1880's, the Laguna quickly became the nation's leading cotton-producing area, as well as a regional center for manufacturing, mining and smelting, and rubber refining. By 1910 it boasted the fastest growing city in Mexico, and the largest foreign population outside of Mexico City.

The region's economic transformation yielded uneven benefits, which in turn precipitated deep social and political tensions. It is against this background that the Revolution began with Francisco Madero's challenge to Diaz's re-election.

William K. Meyers is professor of history at Wake Forest University