"Barbarous Mexico"

Paper Summary:

The book "Barbarous Mexico" is Kenneth Turner's account of his visits to Mexico from 1908 to 1910. Turner examines many issues, including slavery and poverty, and the negative effects of these issues on the Mexican community during the years that Porifio Diaz ruled. The paper shows that Turner is blunt with his association of the squalid Mexican conditions to Diaz; his book is a successful effort to prove a solid foundation for his claims. The paper explains that it is Turner's contention that no man can rule an unwilling people without taking away the liberties of those people, therefore, it can be very easily understood what sort of government Diaz found necessary to establish in order to secure his power. The paper concludes that "Barbarous Mexico" is an important piece of literature because it represents a perspective from one segment of society that is often neglected.

From the Paper:

"Perhaps one of the most telling attributes of "Barbarous Mexico" is the close ties the United States had in the Diaz regime. In Turner's opinion, the United States was responsible for the prolonged abuse of slavery. In fact, Turner suggests that the United States was Diaz's largest monetary partners. The support Diaz received from foreign counties made Diaz's government international, according to Turner. Thus, foreign intervention in favor of the people was less likely. That fact alone, says Turner, was one of the most powerful forces that prevented the Mexican people from ever revolting against Diaz. (Turner 137) In addition, Turner illustrates that even though Mexico was becoming more modern under the leadership of Diaz, it still operated backward in regards to other Latin American countries. Turner explains that when it came to progressive moves relating to governments, Diaz was slow to change; however, when it came to opportunities for gaining capitol, he was quick to act."

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