Mexico During the Great
Depression
Bethany Rocha, Simon , Yamileth Rivera
Effects of Mexican Independence
Mexico was still in
war in attempt to get
there independence
from Spain
Mexico was
politically unstable
Mexican Repatriations
People of Mexican
Descent were deported
to help the U.S.
economy
Mexico had a low
impact at the start of
the Great Depression
Migrants who chose to
go received aid from
Mexican Consuls in the
U.S. or money to leave
from aids
1930s
manufacturing and other
sectors serving the
domestic economy
began a slow recovery.
agricultural production
also rose steadily, and
urban employment
expanded in response to
rising domestic demand
Railroad Nationalization
(1929-1930)
Makes Railroads
turn from private
assets to public
assets
Earns money
from the public
Offers Jobs
Petroleum Industry (1938)
Nationalized
Offers even more
employment
Belonged to state
Acceleration of the land reform (19281940)
Under President Emilio
Portes Gil (1928-1930)
Under President Lázaro
Cárdenas (late 1930s)
Reorganize land
Similar to downsizing
agriculture in U.S.
National finance Bank
Foster Industrial
expansion in the area
Originally an
investment bank
Taxes
Government offered tax
incentives
Response of domestic
demand
Supply and Demand was not
really affected
Rise in Urban employment
Effect of programs
There was no mass
panics of Banks and
randomly depleted
income
Proved to be Effective
Misc.
The Mexican
Revolution was
during their Great
Depression
Revolution was the
reason Mexico
didn’t require many
programs as other
countries
Ending Mexico’s social struggles
Known, at the time as the PNR, or Partido
Nacional Revolucionario (National Revolutionary
Party).
Basically ruled the country
Idea of founding this party would obey several
reasons; merge into one party to most
revolutionary elements and to discipline trends
of small regional bodies
The main function was to organize and conduct
elections; previously assigned to the Interior
Ministry
Emilio Portes Gil; President of Mexico; 19281930
Provisional president after
the assassination of Alvaro
Obregón
President of Mexico’s sole
political party, PNR
He was president, but
Calles was still retained
effective political power;
time known as the
Maximato
Plutarco Elias Calles
Former president of Mexico
Called “Jefe Maximo”
Criticized Cardenas’ handling
of labor disturbances
Cardenas forced him to leave
the country and he was
permitted to return in 1941
Cardenas then asked for the
resignation of all cabinet
members who supported Calles
Lázaro Cárdenas; President of Mexico; 19341940
 He was nominated as
presidential candidate by the
PNR
 He didn’t have the majority of
office holding officials in his
favor
 Tensions in the new government
appeared from the beginning
and finally exploded due to the
wave of strikes that took place
after Cardenas took power
Lázaro Cárdenas; President of Mexico; 19341940
Cardenas reacted very
mildly to the strikes
People were more in favor
of Calles
Land reforms were put in
place
Deportation
hundreds of
thousands of
Mexican
immigrants,
especially
farmworkers, were
sent out of the
country during the
1930s
Effect
The Great Depression brought Mexico a
sharp drop in national income and internal
demand after 1929
Challenges occurred in the country's ability
to fulfill its constitutional mandate to
promote social equity
Mexico did not feel the effects of the Great
Depression as directly as some other
countries did.
WWII
Mexico's inwardlooking development
strategy produced
sustained economic
growth of 3 to 4
percent and modest 3
percent inflation
annually from the 1940s
until the late 1960s.
Citations
 "Depression and the Struggle for Survival." Mexican - Depression and the
Struggle for Survival. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
<https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsand
activities/presentations/immigration/alt/mexican6.html>.
 Mintz, Steven. "Mexican Americans and the Great Depression." The Gilder
Lehrman Institute of American History. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History, 2009. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
<https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/great
-depression/resources/mexican-americans-and-great-depression>.
 "Mexico The Great Depression." Mexico The Great Depression. Photius
Coutsoukis, 2004. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.photius.com/countries/mexico/economy/mexico_
economy_the_great_depression.html>.
Citations
 Alexander, Robert J. "Lazaro Cardenas." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
 Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Plutarco Elias Calles." Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
 INs Records for 1930s Mexican Repatriations. USCIS, https://www.uscis.gov/
history-and-genealogy/our-history/historians-mailbox/ins-records
-1930s-mexican-repatriations.
 "Mexico - Growth and Structure of the Economy." Mexico - Growth and
Structure of the Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
<http://countrystudies.us/mexico/65.htm>.