The Evolution of History and the Informal Empire: La Decena Trágica in the British Press

Abstract

The violent events of the Decena Tragica in Mexico, February 1913, were important news in the British Press because Mexico had become a critical region for the commercial or informal British Empire. The journalistic discourse reveals insights about the complicated perceptions foreigners, particularly British, nurtured in regards to Mexican history and the political developments happening inside Mexico and in the broader context of North America. In addition to the often-mentioned notions of racism and cultural prejudices, the language of the press reveals a sophisticated concept of historical evolution that was used to justify and explain the British influence in Mexico.