The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949 Page: 301

SeicaH /RevoAltioHary MA vemiets
rom Ztexas, 190d-19/2
CHARLES C. CUMBERLAND
D URING the latter part of the nineteenth century and the
early part of the twentieth, Texas was a haven for the
persecuted and semi-persecuted politicians and military
leaders from Mexico. Since the border was relatively easy to
cross and since the refugees were generally able to get the
sympathy of the people of the border section of the state, there
were numerous attempts to overthrow the Mexican government
from this region. Porfirio Diaz himself had started his successful
effort in 1876 from the southernmost part of Texas, and he in
turn was subjected to a number of revolutionary movements
from that area. Again, Madero was successful in the revolution
which he had begun with Texas as a starting point, and during
his short tenure of office was faced with the necessity of com-
batting movements from that region. During the period under
consideration there were four distinct movements against the
constituted government of Mexico; inasmuch as some of these
movements merged into others, at times it is difficult to ascertain
the exact motivation of any particular group and the alignment
of forces. Nevertheless, each of the attempts was a distinct revo-
lutionary movement in itself.
As the new century progressed, a growing unrest was becom-
ing manifest in the neighbor to the south; many factors, eco-
nomic, political, and social, were contributing to the general
desire for a change. The first important indication of that desire
was the program undertaken by the Partido Liberal under the
leadership of Ricardo Flores Mag6n, who had been repeatedly
hounded by the government officials in the years immediately
prior to 1904. In that year he decided he could do little good
by remaining in Mexico and therefore determined to make some
effort to overthrow the government, using Texas as his base of
operations. After a variety of rather disheartening experiences in