Assignment 5a

After Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, very few indigenous groups had independence, as they were controlled by another country as colonies. In Latin America, colonialism lasted until about 1810. Colonialism started out with the Spanish, but went on to include the French, British, and more. Finally from about 1810 to 1830, Latin American countries became semi-independent, mostly through war. They were not really independent, although technically they were, because their economies were still controlled by outside forces that exported the country's resources and then imported finished goods back into the country. This stage is called neocolonialism, because the countries still depended on the finished goods being imported, could not provide many jobs, and their policies were often shaped around the import and export of another county. While Latin American countries are more independent than before, they are still not as independent and strong as other countries because of the colonialism and neocolonialism from before.

The most recent Mexican constitution was created in 1917 during the Mexican Revolution. The Mexican Revolution started in 1910 and lasted until at least 1920. The Revolution was against Porfirio Diaz, but also about the conflicting ideas about what kind of government Mexico should have and how the people should be treated. There were many changes going on in Mexico during the time the constitution was written, and those changes and the ideas of the Revolution were included in the new Constitution.

The Constitution of 1917 gave more rights to the people of Mexico than the previous constitution from 1857. An example is that it limited the workday to only 8 hours a day and included at least one required day off a week. Also, workers were given the right to form unions and strike. This was very different than what most people had been used to before. The amount of land a person could own was limited, so peasants had a better chance of owning some land, which was before owned almost entirely by a small number of wealthy people. Also, primary education became a requirement, and it had to be free of charge and religion. While many of the new laws were not, and often still are not, always followed, they made progress and provided new opportunities. The constitution gave more rights to citizens, protected them more, and made life better for Mexicans.

February 5th of every year is El Dia de la Constitucion, or Constitution Day. It is a public holiday in Mexico the recognizes the Constitution. There are often festivals and celebrations throughout Mexico. Most workers get the day off because it is a national holiday, like Memorial Day in the United States. It is important because the Constitution of 1917 was formally adopted on February 5th, and was the first time that Mexicans had many rights and gave Mexico greater freedom from outside powers. It is a day of celebrating what the new constitution brought to Mexico, and a time to recognize the progress that was made.

The main source I used was "The Constitution of 1917," which is on a government run website that teaches kids about Mexico (http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/rev/constitu.html). It is on a credible site that has won many awards, is through the government, and includes sources. I also used Wikipedia for information on Dia de la Constitucion, because there isn't much credible information about it that I could find (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Mexico). Wikipedia is not credible, but it's the best I could find, and it sounds right. I used the Oxford Language Dictionary Online to give me some basic information on the holiday (http://www.oxfordlanguagedictionaries.com/Public/PublicResources.html?direction=b-es-en&sp=S/oldo/resources/es/calendar.html). That is credible because it has a good reputation, provides the names of the project team, and is associated with Oxford University, which also has a good reputation.