Omar Bennett
The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, also known as the Constitution of 1917, is considered the culmination of the Mexican Revolution. The Constitution, which is still in force today, was promulgated by Mexican President Venustiano Carranza and includes significant social reforms such as the separation of Church and State, the right of labour to organize and strike, and the division of large haciendas into ejidos. It also establishes Mexico City as the capital and outlines human rights, national citizenship, and freedoms of foreigners in the country.
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What You'll Learn
- The Constitution of 1917 is the first document to set out social rights
- It succeeded the Constitution of 1857
- It was approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917
- It was promulgated by Mexican President Venustiano Carranza
- It incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including land reform and labour rights
The Constitution of 1917 is the first document to set out social rights
The Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, led to the creation of a new constitution in 1917. This constitution, known as the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro and approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917. It is considered the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution and marked a significant shift towards secularism. The Constitution of 1917 is still in force today and has been amended several times.
The Constitution of 1917 is notable for being the first document to set out social rights. It incorporated the aspirations of various groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including agrarian reform and workers' rights. It also guaranteed personal freedoms and civil liberties, establishing economic and political principles for the country.
One of the most important provisions of the 1917 Constitution is Article 3, which established the basis for free, mandatory, and secular education. This article contributed to the wider movement towards secularism in Mexico and restricted the influence of the Roman Catholic Church.
Another key provision is Article 27, which laid the foundation for land reform in Mexico. It gave the government the right to confiscate land from wealthy landowners and outlined alternative land reform and agrarian programs. Additionally, it asserted national ownership of subsoil resources and introduced concepts of social utility and national benefit to balance private property rights.
Article 123, often referred to as the Magna Carta of labour and social welfare, is also of utmost importance. It guaranteed workers' rights, including minimum wages, the right to organize and strike, and social security programs. It elevated the social status of labour and recognised labour as a fundamental part of society, rather than merely an economic commodity.
The Constitution of 1917 also included provisions for equality and non-discrimination on the basis of race, creed, social or political condition. It established Mexico City as the capital and defined national citizenship and the freedoms of foreigners residing in the country. Furthermore, it outlined the structure and responsibilities of the government, public service, and law enforcement, conferring significant powers to the President.
The creation of the Constitution of 1917 was a complex process that involved a constituent congress and delegate elections. It replaced the Constitution of 1857 and earlier charters, marking a significant evolution in Mexico's political and social landscape.
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It succeeded the Constitution of 1857
The Constitution of 1917, which is still in force in Mexico today, is the successor to the Constitution of 1857. The 1917 Constitution was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, Mexico, by a constituent convention during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917 and was later amended several times. The 1917 Constitution is considered the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution, marking the culmination of the Revolution.
The 1917 Constitution was drafted by a convention of Mexico's new political class, which was mostly made up of middle-class reformers. Half of the attendees had university degrees, and only 30% had fought in the Revolution. They were young, ambitious, and relatively apolitical. The document was created to succeed the Constitution of 1857, which was invoked by Venustiano Carranza's Constitutionalist coalition to unite Mexicans against the regime of General Victoriano Huerta, who had come to power in a coup in February 1913.
The 1857 Constitution was a liberal document that restricted the Roman Catholic Church as an institution. However, the 1917 Constitution went further, with Articles 3, 5, 24, 27, and 130 seriously restricting the Church in Mexico. The 1916-1917 constitutional congress had lengthy and heated debates over anticlericalism. The 1917 Constitution also included significant, cutting-edge social reforms, serving as a model for the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918.
The 1917 Constitution has 137 articles that define citizenship, organise a government, mandate land reform, and enumerate basic human rights for all Mexicans. It establishes the government, public service, and social welfare, and designates Mexico City as the capital. It also includes provisions for the separation of Church and State (Article 3), the division of large haciendas into ejidos (Article 27), and the right of labour to organise, strike, and receive compensation for workplace accidents (Article 123).
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It was approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917
The Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, culminated in the creation of a new constitution. This was the Constitution of 1917, which was approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917. The constitution was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, Mexico, by a constituent convention during the revolution. It was the successor to the Constitution of 1857 and earlier Mexican constitutions.
The Constitution of 1917 is considered the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution. It incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the revolution, including agrarian reform and the confiscation of land from wealthy landowners, advocated by the followers of Emiliano Zapata. It also guaranteed workers' rights, limited the rights of the Roman Catholic Church, and widened access to education for the masses.
The 1917 Constitution consisted of 137 articles, which defined citizenship, organised a government, mandated land reform, and enumerated basic human rights for all Mexicans. It established Mexico City as the capital and outlined freedoms for foreigners residing in the country.
The Constitution of 1917 is notable for being the first such document in the world to set out social rights. It served as a model for the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918. It has been amended several times but remains in force in Mexico today, almost 100 years later.
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It was promulgated by Mexican President Venustiano Carranza
The Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, culminated in the creation of the Constitution of 1917, also known as the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States. This constitution, which was promulgated by Mexican President Venustiano Carranza on February 5, 1917, is still in force in Mexico today.
Carranza, a Mexican landowner and politician, played a crucial role in the Mexican Revolution and the drafting of the 1917 Constitution. He became the de facto head of state as Primer Jefe ("First Chief") of the Constitutionalist faction from 1914 to 1917, and his contributions to the revolution were significant. Carranza's Constitutionalist coalition invoked the liberal ideals of the 1857 Constitution to unite Mexicans against the regime of General Victoriano Huerta, who had seized power in a coup in 1913. The Constitutionalists emerged victorious in 1915, defeating Huerta's regime and subsequently winning the bloody civil war between the revolutionary factions of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.
Carranza's role in the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the 1917 Constitution is complex. While he advocated for a new constitution to establish the rule of law and incorporate revolutionary reforms, he was reluctant to fully embrace the progressive reforms included in the final document. He accepted the provisions of the 1917 Constitution, which included fundamental reforms in land ownership, control of natural resources, labour laws, and social legislation, but he did little to implement them during his presidency. This reluctance to institute far-reaching reforms led to criticism from some radicals who supported him.
The Constitution of 1917, with its 137 articles, introduced significant social reforms and defined key aspects of Mexican society. It established the separation of church and state, mandated land reform, outlined human rights, defined national citizenship, and specified the freedoms of foreigners residing in Mexico. It also established Mexico City as the capital and organised the government, public service, and social welfare. The constitution served as a model for other countries, influencing the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918.
Despite Carranza's ambivalent approach to implementing the constitution's reforms, his role in promulgating this document was significant. The Constitution of 1917 remains a lasting legacy of the Mexican Revolution and continues to shape Mexico's legal and social landscape even a century later.
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It incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including land reform and labour rights
The Constitution of 1917, formally the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917 and is considered the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution. The Constitution of 1917 is still in force today, almost 100 years later, and has been amended several times.
The Constitution of 1917 incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including land reform and labour rights. It gave the government the right to confiscate land from wealthy landowners, guaranteed workers' rights, and outlined alternative land reform and agrarian programs. Article 27 laid the foundation for land reform in Mexico, while Article 123, the Magna Carta of labour and social welfare, guaranteed minimum wages and the right to organize and strike. It also gave labour social status and outlined a comprehensive system of social security, including public health and welfare programs.
The Constitution of 1917 also included significant social reforms to labour laws, providing for equality in treatment without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, social or political condition, among other reforms. It defines national citizenship, outlines associated rights, and specifies freedoms of foreigners residing in the country. It establishes the government, public service, and social welfare, and Mexico City as the capital, with the Federal District a separate entity, apart from state jurisdiction.
The Constitution of 1917 was preceded by the Constitution of 1857, which subordinated the executive branch to the legislative branch to curtail the power of strong presidents. However, the liberal general Porfirio Díaz made the legislature and courts subordinate to his executive power while this constitution remained in effect in theory but not in practice.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution of 1917, also known as the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, was made during the Mexican Revolution.
The Constitution of 1917 included 137 articles that defined citizenship, organised a government, mandated land reform, and outlined basic human rights for all Mexicans. It also established Mexico City as the capital and provided for equality in treatment without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, social or political condition.
Article 3 established the basis for free, mandatory, and secular education. Article 27 laid the foundation for land reform and national ownership of subsoil resources. Article 123, often referred to as the "Magna Carta of labour and social welfare", guaranteed minimum wages, the right to organise and strike, and outlined a comprehensive system of social security.
The Constitution of 1917 was the successor to the Constitution of 1857 and earlier Mexican constitutions. It was drafted during the Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910 and was led by Venustiano Carranza's Constitutionalist faction. The revolution sought socio-economic reforms that went beyond the political bounds of the 1857 Constitution.
