Revolution and Ideology: Images of the Mexican Revolution in the United States

Mexico and the United States share a border of more than 2,000miles, and their histories and interests have often intertwined.The Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910 and continued in oneform or another for the next thirty years, was keenly observed byU.S. citizens, especially those directly involved in Mexico throughproperty ownership, investment, missionary work, tourism,journalism, and education. It differed from many other revolutionsin this century in that Marxist—Leninist theory was only one ofmany radical and reformist influences.Historian John A. Britton examines contemporary accounts writtenby Americans commenting on social upheaval south of the border:radical writers John Reed, Anita Brenner, and Carlton Beals;novelists Katherine Anne Porter and D.H. Lawrence; social criticsStuart Chase and Waldo Frank; and banker-diplomat Dwight Morrow, tomention a few.Their writings constitute a valuable body of information andopinion concerning a revolution that offers important parallelswith liberation movements throughout the world today. Britton'ssources also shed light on the many contradictions and complexitiesinherent in the relationship between the United States andMexico.