Based on personal documents written by Richard Herr's older brother, the manuscript covers a critical period in Mexican history, beginning in the Porfiriato and continuing through the 1920s, from the point of view of one family. An American Family in the Mexican Revolution illustrates the major themes in Mexican history, including the economic expansion of the United States into Mexico in the late nineteenth century; relations between foreign managers and Mexicans of all social classes; the foreign colony in Mexico; the development of a working class in Mexico; various aspects of the Mexican revolution (including its contribution to the debate about the degree to which foreigners and their enterprises stirred revolutionary discontent); the impact and changes brought about by the revolution; and Mexican-United States relations during the entire period. The book also describes the story of U.S. miners in Mexico. The mineral industry was a critical part of U.S.-Mexican economic relations and the Mexican economy, yet little is known about its financing and operations.
An American Family in the Mexican Revolution is an excellent text for introducing students to primary sources.
