United States Citizens living in Mexico during the Revolution
Many U.S. citizens lived in Mexico during the Revolution. Some of the U.S. citizens who
lived across the border were farmers and ranchers who lived in the rural areas of Mexico.
Their isolation left them totally on their own during the Revolution, when fighting broke
out. Many of the farming and ranching families were terrorized and robbed. Some of the
farmers even fled back to the United states for a brief time and then returned to Mexico.
Other U.S. citizens lived prosperous and well-to-do family lives in Mexico until the
Revolution broke out and they went from eating caviar to beans. Lifestyle changes were
the result of the Mexicans stealing money and taking over the U.S. citizens land. Often
there were U.S. citizens who even invested in Mexico but after the Revolution erupted
they found that their investments were taken from them. From a group of Mormons, to a
successful family, and to the investors who lost it all, all of these U.S. citizens are an
example of the impact that the Revolution had, felt not only by the Mexican people but
by the foreigners as well. What was it really like to live across the border before and
during the revolution? Who lost it all and what did they lose?
Mormon Settlers
Mormons began to colonize in Chihuahua, Mexico after they suffered infringements on
their religious and civil rights in the United States. The presiding officer of the Mormons ,
Junius Rommey felt that the relationships between the Mexican political parties and the
U.S. Mormon citizens was friendly. The Mormons took no part in the politics of the
revolution. The attitudes of the Mormons towards the revolution were known and the
fact that they choose to stay out of it gave the Mexicans a great appreciation towards
them. During the Orozco revolution, which developed in the immediate section of the
Mormons colonies, the Mormons again announced that they would not render any
assistance to either party and would like to go on with their own business. Kind treatment
was received from the revolutionary party and the federal government until the conditions
grew worse and the Mexican people began to take advantage of the Mormons assets.
Pasture fences were cut, horses and cattle were killed,(see photo at right), and the Orozco revolutionaries
began to take things that they claimed they needed. Usually the revolutionaries would
give the Mormons receipts, but this policy soon faded. The real problems started when
the Orozco revolutionaries made up their mind to take all the guns and ammunition from
the Mormons. The Mexicans felt that they, could not permit Americans to have arms in
their territory, because intervention was now an established fact. The Mormons felt that
this act was unjustified and that they were becoming prisoners. Although the Mormons
were trying to maintain peace and friendly relations with the Mexicans, all of their actions
were failing fast. The Mormons surrendered to the Orozco revolutionaries and gave them
their guns after they were unsuccessful of getting the woman and children out of there.
The Mormon colonies were soon evacuated, they could not, witness the wholesale
destruction of their property.
Wealthy Families
The Jonsoni family was among many U.S. families who traveled across the border to live a
lavish lifestyle. Foreigners who migrated to Mexico before the outbreak of the Revolution
lived a, affluent life-style until their fortune changed around 1910, or the start of the
Mexican Revolution. When the fedoras were in power and Pancho Villa and his band of
men, (The Villistas), tried to fight them off around 1910, this is when the Jonsonis
family and many other familys luck ran out. The Villistas robbed entered the town of
Boquilla were the Jonsoni family had fled to earlier to hide in company houses. The
Villistas robbed stores and took possessions from the neighboring citizens. When one of
the Villistas soldiers asked a Jonsoni brother for his hat he responded by telling the man
that, Its not for sale. The Villistas soldier took the hat right off his head and gave him
his dirty sombrero and a IOU. The Villistas also stole the Jonsoni familys donkey. The
soldiers tied the donkey up to a post by his neck and his tale and then started firing shots
at the donkey to see who could shot off his tail first. Later the family decided to move to
Durango, but soon after their arrival came the Villistas. This time the Villistas had
surprosed the federals and almost all the federals were killed during the three day battle.
The Villistas took over the city, first by looting the grocery, jewelry, and department
stores, and finally they set fire to all the buildings. The Jonsoni family as well as the rest
of the citizens of Durango were ordered to leave their homes open to the Villista soldiers
day and night, so they would have access to the families guns, horses, and every pretty
girl. Things grew worse as the Villistas burned all the railroad bridges and tore down all
the telephone wires. The Jonsoni family could no longer communicate with their eldest
son who was sending them money. The family had to start selling off their possessions.
They began to sell jewelry and later ended up selling off all the furniture except one bed
that the entire family had to sleep in. The families of Durango were ordered to flee by
train to the United States. The Villistas were going to shot any gringo that he found still
living in the town.
U.S. Investors in Mexico
Like many U.S. citizens, William Garrett went to Mexico and invested all that he had.
When the big battles of the Revolution broke out Garrett lost everything. In the first
instance Garrrett was robed of his paper money and American silver. While tied up to a
tree with a rope around his neck, he watched as the Mexican soldiers burned his horse
saddle and all his paper accounts up. Garrett went to the governor of the state of
Tamaulipas, Luis Caballero, and asked for assistance. The governor ignored Garretts
pleas to the stop the bands of soldiers from stealing his possessions and demanding food
from his workers. The Governor was bitter towards foreigners and never did anything
about Garretts request. Garrett had a plantation where he grew cultivated henequen.
Garretts business was very profitable and well cared for. Garrett hired workers that were
loyal to him because he always paid them on time and never owed them anything. When
Garrett had to leave his plantation after the fighting got so bad, he left behind one
hundred acres of prime crops. Garrett only had his suitcase left, everything that he had
invested was gone, taken from him.
Garrett had known a fine group of farmers who left Oklahoma and migrated to Mexico.
The farmers had invested all that they had. The farmers were doing well. They built nice
homes, cultivated the land, had imported stocks, put up stores, built schools, and
generally improved the value of the land. When the revolution broke out the United states
government told them they must leave and come back to the U.S. When the Oklahoma
farmers returned to Mexico there was nothing left. The houses were destroyed, the
stocks were taken and their cattle were killed and eaten. The Mexicans had taken and ate
away all the farmers investments.
Garretts impression of Mexico was that the entire country benefited by the investments
that were made by the foreigners. The Mexican government had promoted foreign capital,
that Garrett claims if wasnt present that Mexico would have remained a dormant state.
The Mexicans responded to the improvements that the foreigners had made by sending
their sons to the U.S. and abroad to become just as educated as the foreigners that were
prospering so well in the state of Mexico at the time. The idea Garrett said was that the
Mexican sons would come back to their country and take over the businesss that the
foreigners had invested in. One Mexican had said that he had a son who was an engineer who could conduct this business and that the Mormons should get out of Mexico. The man believed that the Mexicnas should run the businesses and they should run them,
themselves. Mexico is for Mexicans! The investments that the foreigners had made
would soon be turned over entirely to the Mexicans. The Mexicans Garrett believes overall were
very grateful to have the foreigners come and invest their own money and improve the
country. The Mexicans then would take the foreigners returns on the businesss and take
it and handle it themselves.
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Americans in Tijuana cafe, ca. 1920(0)
Casualties of the revolution. Many of the Mormon's horses were brutally killed by Mexican rebels.The Mormons had tried to keep peaceful relationships with the Mexican rebels, by staying nuetral to all sides that were involved in the Mexican Revolution. When the Orozco revolutionist killed the Mormons horses and cattle, the Mormons could no longer maintain peaceful relations. The Mormons decided to leave the country instead of fighting back.(25)
Americans in Tijuana, ca. 1920(0)
Americans in Tijuana, ca. 1920(0)
Americans in Tijuana, ca. 1920(0)
John Spreckels speaks to Americans in Tijuana, ca. 1920(0)
Americans in Tijuana, ca. 1920(0)
Americans cross Tijuana river, ca. 1920(0)
Americans cross Tijuana river, ca. 1920(0)
Americans cross Tijuana river, ca. 1920(0)
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