Manifiesto a la Nación (Francisco I. Madero)

The Manifiesto a la Nación (Manifesto to the Nation) is a significant political document authored by Francisco I. Madero and published in 1910. It served as a crucial catalyst for the Mexican Revolution. Madero, a wealthy landowner and advocate for democratic reform, penned the manifesto as a call to arms against the long-standing dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz.

The document outlines Madero's grievances against the Díaz regime, focusing on issues such as political corruption, lack of genuine elections, suppression of individual liberties, and the concentration of land ownership in the hands of a small elite. He argued that Díaz's rule had become autocratic and detrimental to the well-being of the Mexican people.

Central to the Manifiesto a la Nación was the Plan de San Luis, also authored by Madero and incorporated within the larger manifesto. The Plan de San Luis declared the elections of 1910 fraudulent and called for an armed uprising to begin on November 20, 1910, with the goal of overthrowing Díaz and establishing a provisional government. It also promised to restore lands illegally seized from peasants, a key issue that resonated with the rural population.

The Manifiesto a la Nación and the Plan de San Luis were widely distributed and had a profound impact on Mexican society. They galvanized popular support for Madero's movement and ignited the Mexican Revolution. While the Plan de San Luis contained elements that would ultimately be superseded by more radical demands, particularly regarding land reform, it provided the initial framework and justification for the rebellion that would transform Mexico in the years that followed. The manifesto remains a cornerstone document in the study of Mexican history and the origins of the revolution.