Photograph collection on Venustiano Carranza

Finding aid prepared by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant.
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© 2017
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Descriptive Summary

Title: Photograph collection on Venustiano Carranza
Date (inclusive): 1910-1920
Collection Number: MS 036
Extent: 1.96 linear feet (1 album, 1 box)
Repository: Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
Abstract: The collection consists of approximately 350 photographs of Mexican revolutionary and President Venustiano Carranza, including depictions of Carranza on national tours and in areas being attacked by Revolutionaries during his time as Mexico's president (1917-20). Photographs in the collection also include portraits of Carranza and other prominent Mexican figures, including Isidro Fabela and Álvaro Obregón.
Languages: The collection is in Spanish.

Access

This collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [date if possible]. Photograph collection on Venustiano Carranza (MS 036). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Acquisition Information

Purchased in 1999.

Processing History

Processed by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant, 2017.
Processing of the Photograph collection on Venustiano Carranza was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian.

Biographical Note

Venustiano Carranza Garza was born in 1859 in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico, to a wealthy cattle-ranching family. He attended good schools and used his wealth to rise in the political scene, where he gave his support to Francisco Madero's revolution in 1910 and became Madero's Minister of War in 1911. Carranza returned later that year to Coahuila, where he was elected governor and implemented a wide array of judicial, labor and tax reforms.
Soon into Madero's presidency, his relationship with Carranza deteriorated, and Carranza distanced himself from the President who he felt was weak and ineffectual. After Madero's presidency was overthrown in 1913 and Victoriano Huerta became president, Carranza saw this as his opportunity to take power and lead as he felt Madero had not.
In 1913 Carranza joined forces with a number of other revolutionaries against Huerta, including Álvaro Obregón, Pancho Villa, Felipe Ángeles, and Emiliano Zapata, to form the Constitutionalist Army. After a series of battles the Constitutionalist Army forced Huerta out of office in 1914, and as the head of the army Carranza stepped in as the new President of Mexico.
After Carranza took office, his former alliances began to break over issues of social reform, which Carranza was unwilling to implement in his new government. Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa's troops then began their own revolution against Carranza, but were ultimately unsuccessful. Carranza was also able to secure the U.S. government's recognition of his presidency in 1915, and establish a new constitution for Mexico in 1917 after which he was formally elected as the constitutional President of Mexico.
During his presidency, Carranza carried through a number of reforms, many of which focused on maintaining an independent judiciary and reducing the power of foreign companies to exploit and develop natural resources in Mexico.
In 1920, Carranza decided not to run for re-election, but attempted to have Ignacio Bonillas, a virtually unknown politician, elected as his successor. In response Álvaro Obregón and his allied generals then drafted the Plan of Agua Prieta, which repudiated Carranza's government and renewed the revolution. After an aide of Obregón attempted to assassinate Carranza and Obregón's troops invaded Mexico City, Carranza fled to regroup his troops but was killed on May 20th, 1920 after his forces were attacked in the Sierra Norte de Puebla Mountains.

Collection Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately 350 photographs of Mexican revolutionary and President Venustiano Carranza, including photographs of Carranza on national tours, visiting troops, with his family, and at his funeral in 1920. Photographs in the collection also include portraits of Carranza and other prominent Mexican figures, including Isidro Fabela and Álvaro Obregón.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Carranza, Venustiano, 1859-1920
Fabela, Isidro, 1882-1964
Obregón, Álvaro, 1880-1928
Mexico
Mexico -- History -- Revolution, 1910-1920
Presidents -- Mexico
Revolutionaries
Revolutions -- Latin America

Genres and Forms of Materials

Photographs