November 20, 1910

Everyone in the U.S. knows about Cinco de Mayo, mostly because companies turned it into a marketing holiday. Fewer people know about September 16th, Mexico’s Independence Day, and even fewer know about November 20th, the day the Mexican Revolution began, the era that gave us figures like Villa and Zapata.

The Revolution wasn’t some quick rebellion. It was a ten-year shake-up that turned Mexico upside down. Porfirio Díaz, the president-turned-dictator, ruled the country for over 30 years. He modernized cities, built railroads, and brought in foreign money, but at a huge cost. Political freedom didn’t exist, elections were a joke, workers were crushed, and Indigenous and rural communities lost their land. His heavy-handed rule pushed the country to a breaking point and sparked the Revolution in 1910.

On November 20, 1910, Francisco I. Madero, a wealthy, educated Mexican who believed in real democracy, stood up to Díaz and shouted, “ya basta!” That call started the Revolution and brought leaders like Villa, Zapata, Carranza, and Obregón into the fight for justice, land, and power. Madero would eventually become president, but his time in office was cut short by assassination.

The Revolution wasn’t just about opinions or politics, it was about justice. At its core, a revolution is a society saying, enough is enough. It’s a reminder that when leaders stop serving the people and corruption takes over, change has to happen, whether through organized action, pressure from the people, or cultural movements that refuse to accept injustice.

The Mexican Revolution reshaped the nation. It opened the door for reforms, gave voices a chance to be heard, and let communities reclaim what was theirs. Even today, as Mexico faces cartels, violence, and political corruption, that same spirit, standing up and demanding what’s right, is still alive. The Revolution isn’t something stuck in history, it’s a lesson in courage, in persistence, and in the power of the people to stand up when it matters most.