I’m Sofia, an ordinary middle-class young woman whose main concern is the safety of my family. I lived through the chaotic decade that was the Mexican Revolution and recorded my experiences in my journal. Read my story below!

Throughout the Mexican Revolution, something that stayed the same was the constant desire for land reform. The revolution started because of the mishandling of land belonging to indigenous peoples and peasants, and the gap between the poor, middle-class, and wealthy grew noticeably as a result. Four leaders were unsatisfactory for the revolutionaries in this regard and were subsequently overthrown. In order, they were Porfirio Diaz, Francisco Madero, Victoriano Huerta, and Venustiano Carranza. Only the last president Obregon managed to satisfy everyone’s needs equitably.

Something that changed throughout the Mexican Revolution was women’s rights. Before the revolution, women weren’t recognized as citizens of Mexico. Their entire life consisted of being prepared to find a husband, who would be chosen by her father, and performing their duties as a housewife for their remaining years. The soldaderas (or adelitas) all took part in the revolution in some way or another, whether it was simply helping out in the camps, encouraging their husbands or relatives to keep fighting, or taking part in the fighting themselves. Over these ten years, women earned their place in Mexico through their invaluable help in the revolution.