Jonah Patel
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 is significant as it was the first constitution in the world to outline social rights. It was the result of a long struggle of the Mexican nation to unite as a nation and conform as a federal republic. The constitution was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, by a constituent convention during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constituent Congress on 5 February 1917 and has been amended several times since. The constitution conferred dictatorial powers on the president, but it also incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including land reform, workers' rights, and free and secular education. It also restricted the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Separation of Church and State | Article 3 |
| Secular and Compulsory Education | Article 3 |
| Land Reform | Article 27 |
| Worker's Rights | Article 123 |
| Human Rights | Article 11, 13, 14 |
| Democratic Renewal | Prohibition of presidential reelection |
| Civil Liberties | Article 3, 14 |
| Anti-Clericalism | Article 3, 5, 24, 27, 130 |
| Anti-Monopoly | Article 27 |
| Indigenous Rights | Article 12 |
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What You'll Learn
- The constitution was a product of a long struggle for Mexico to conform as a nation
- It was the first constitution to outline social rights
- It guaranteed personal freedoms and civil liberties
- It established economic and political principles for the country
- It conferred dictatorial powers on the president
The constitution was a product of a long struggle for Mexico to conform as a nation
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 is considered the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution, marking the culmination of Mexico's long struggle to conform as a nation. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, Mexico, by a constituent convention during the Mexican Revolution. The constitution was approved by the Constituent Congress on February 5, 1917, and has been amended several times since.
The Constitution of 1917 is significant as it was the first such document in the world to outline social rights, serving as a model for the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918. It incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including agrarian reform, and guaranteed workers' rights. The constitution also restricted the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico, further than the previous Constitution of 1857, and widened the educational base to include availability of primary school for the masses.
The Constitution of 1917, still in force almost 100 years later, has 137 articles that define citizenship, organize a government, mandate land reform, and enumerate basic human rights for all Mexicans. Article 3 established the basis for free, mandatory, and secular education, secularizing the Mexican state. Article 27 laid the foundation for land reform, mandating that lands taken from the peasantry during the Porfiriato be returned, and outlining alternative land reform and agrarian programs. Article 123 was designed to empower the labor sector, establishing an 8-hour workday, a 6-day workweek, a minimum wage, and equal pay for equal work. It also gave labor and capital the right to organize, allowing workers to bargain collectively and strike.
The Constitution of 1917 was a product of Mexico's long struggle to conform as a nation, emerging from the Mexican Revolution and building upon the Constitution of 1857. It established fundamental laws for the Mexican federal republic, guaranteeing personal freedoms and civil liberties, and setting economic and political principles. The Constitution also addressed indigenous communities, defining them as cultural, economic, and social units settled in a territory that recognizes its own authorities, according to their customs.
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It was the first constitution to outline social rights
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 is significant as it was the first constitution in the world to outline social rights. It was the product of a long struggle of more than 200 years of the Mexican nation to conform as a nation. The 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 has been amended several times since.
The constitution is founded on principles such as human rights, separation of powers, and separation of Church and State. It paved the way for land reform, empowered the working class, laid the foundation for free and secular education, and restricted the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico. The constitution also included the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including the agrarian reform advocated by the followers of Emiliano Zapata. It gave the government the right to confiscate land from wealthy landowners, guaranteed workers' rights, and widened the educational base to include the availability of primary school for the masses.
Articles 3, 5, 24, 27, and 130 were anticlerical and restricted the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico, as well as other organized churches. Article 3 required that education in both public and private schools be completely secular and free of any religious instruction, prohibiting religions from participating in education. It also prohibited ministers or religious groups from aiding the poor, engaging in scientific research, and spreading their teachings. Article 27 mandated that lands taken from the peasantry during the Porfiriato had to be returned, even if they did not have written titles. It also forbade foreigners from owning land within 100 km of a national border or 50 km of the sea. Article 123 established an 8-hour workday, a 6-day workweek, a minimum wage, and equal pay for equal work. It gave both labor and capital the right to organize, and workers gained the right to bargain collectively and strike.
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 has served as a model for the constitutions of other nations, including the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918. It is considered the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution, marking the culmination of the revolution and insisting on the complete separation of Church and State.
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It guaranteed personal freedoms and civil liberties
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 is significant because it guarantees personal freedoms and civil liberties. It also establishes economic and political principles for the country.
The Constitution of 1917 conferred dictatorial powers on the president, but it also incorporated the aspirations of the groups involved in the Mexican Revolution, including agrarian reform. It gave the government the right to confiscate land from wealthy landowners, guaranteed workers' rights, and widened the educational base to include primary school for all Mexicans. It also restricted the rights of the Roman Catholic Church and mandated the separation of Church and State.
The Constitution of 1917 also includes a vast plan for secular, free, and compulsory public education. It outlines human rights, defines national citizenship, and specifies the freedoms of foreigners residing in Mexico. It establishes the government, public service, and social welfare, and it mandates land reform.
The document also includes provisions for equality. This includes equality regardless of gender, creed or belief, human dignity, religion, origin, age, and social status. It also prohibits discrimination that violates human dignity and restricts the rights and liberties of persons.
In addition, the Constitution of 1917 protects personal liberty and privacy. It states that no person can be deprived of their liberty, property, possessions, or rights except by judicial proceeding. It also protects private communications and states that any act that threatens liberty and privacy will be criminally sanctioned.
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It established economic and political principles for the country
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 is the product of a long struggle of more than 200 years of the Mexican nation to conform as a nation. It is the first constitution in the world to incorporate social rights and served as a model for the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918. Founded on principles such as human rights, separation of powers, and separation of church and state, the constitution established economic and political principles for the country.
The constitution was drafted in Querétaro, not the capital. President Venustiano Carranza chose the site because it was where Emperor Maximilian of Mexico was executed, bringing an end to the Second French Intervention in 1867. Another view is that Mexico City was too conservative, and Carranza chose the provincial capital of Querétaro because it was a quiet, peaceful place for such an important meeting. The congress formally opened in November 1916, with delegate elections and then a credentials fight preceding that; the final draft was approved on 5 February 1917.
The constitution mandated land reform, giving the government the right to confiscate land from wealthy landowners and return it to the peasantry. It also gave the government the right to take all land not used "appropriately" and repurpose it for the public good. It forbade foreigners from owning land within 100 km of a national border or 50 km of the sea.
The constitution empowered the working class, laying the foundation for free and secular education. It also restricted the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico, prohibiting religious instruction in schools and barring ministers or religious groups from aiding the poor, engaging in scientific research, and spreading their teachings.
The constitution also included provisions for human rights, guaranteeing personal freedoms and civil liberties. It outlined democratic forms, insisting on the complete separation of church and state and prohibiting presidential reelection. It also included the major features of the 1824 and 1857 charters regarding territorial organization and anti-monopoly clauses.
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It conferred dictatorial powers on the president
The Mexican Constitution of 1917, officially known as 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 has been amended several times since.
The Constitution of 1917 is significant because it conferred dictatorial powers on the president. This constitution gave the government the authority to confiscate land from wealthy landowners and return it to the peasantry, even if they lacked written titles. Additionally, it restricted foreigners from owning land within 100 km of national borders or 50 km of the sea. These land reforms were a significant shift in power and represented a more active role for the national government in promoting social and economic well-being.
The constitution also guaranteed workers' rights, establishing an eight-hour workday, a six-day workweek, a minimum wage, and equal pay for equal work. It gave both labour and capital the right to organise, and workers gained the right to bargain collectively and strike. These provisions empowered the labour sector, which had emerged in the late nineteenth century and supported the winning faction of the Mexican Revolution.
The document also widened the educational base by making primary school available to the masses and establishing free, obligatory, and secular public education. This secularisation of the Mexican state included the separation of church and state and restricted the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in education and other areas.
The Constitution of 1917, still in force today, has been hailed as the legal triumph of the Mexican Revolution. It defines citizenship, organises the government, mandates land reform, and enumerates basic human rights for all Mexicans.
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Frequently asked questions
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 was written following years of political instability and violent rebellion. In 1913, Victoriano Huerta became president after forming an alliance with the rebels and receiving support from the United States. However, he resigned in mid-1914 due to declining political power and went into exile. After his resignation, Mexico was left without a political structure and descended into civil war. With the help of the United States, Venustiano Carranza solidified his position as the next political leader of Mexico by April 1915. In 1916, Carranza controlled every Mexican state except Chihuahua and Morelos, and he convened a congress to revise the constitution of 1857. The final draft of the new constitution was approved on February 5, 1917.
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 is significant for its provisions related to human rights, separation of powers, and separation of church and state. It established the basis for free, mandatory, and secular education, land reform, and workers' rights. It also included social rights, such as an eight-hour workday, a six-day workweek, a minimum wage, and equal pay for equal work. Additionally, it prohibited presidential reelection and restricted the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico.
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 served as a model for the constitutions of other nations, including the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Constitution of 1918. It also had a significant impact on Mexican society, empowering the working class and promoting social, economic, and cultural well-being. The constitution is still in force today, over 100 years later, and has been amended multiple times.
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