Zapata and the City Boys: In Search of a Piece of the Revolution

Abstract

Thanks to Linda Hall, Aaron Mahr, Engracia Loyo, Luiis Goinzalez v GoinzMlez, Martini Gonzalez de la Vara, Heniry C. Schmidt, John Tutino, two anonymiiouis referees, and the staff of the HAHR for suggestiolns that have dramatically improved this paper. This research was funded by a Fulbright grant from the United States Informationi Agency anld three awards from the University of New Mexico: a Graduate Achievement Award from the Office of Graduate Studies, a field research grant fromii the Latin Aimiericani Institute, anid a granit from the Student Research Allocations Committee. Citationis in this article refer to the followinig archives: Archivo de la Defenisa Nacional, Mexico City (ADN); Biblioteca Nacional, Mexico Citv, Centro de Estudios Sobre la Universidad, Archivo de Gildardo Magafia (BN-AGM); Centro de Estudios de Historia de Mexico, Condumex, Mexico City, Archivo de Geniaro Amiiezcua (C-AGA); Instituito Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, Mexico City, Programa de Historia Oral (PHO); Unliversidad Panlamericana, Mexico City, Archivo de Roque Goinzalez Garza (UP-ARGG); U.S. Departmenlt of State, Records Relating to the Internal Affairs of Mexico, 1910-1929 (USDS-IAM). In the Archivo Genieral de la Naci6n, Mexico City: Archivo de Alfredo Robles Domiiinguiez (AGNAARD); Archivo del Cuartel General del Sur (AGN-ACGS); Archivo de Genovevo de la 0 (AGN-AGO); and Archivo de Zapata (AGN-AZ). i. The debate over Zapata's literacy has been a long and uinprofitable one. In gener-al, authors who like him have argued that he was literate, and those who dislike him have responded that he was niot. The most detailed work to date on Zapata's education canl be found in Jes6s Sotelo Iiclan, La escuela de Anenectiilco, Cuiadernos zapatistas (Cuernavaca: Gobierno del Estado de Morelos, 1979), and Sotelo is correct in believing that his subject could read and write. The most direct evidenice for Zapata's ability to write can be found on a photograph he dedicated to Gildardo Magafia on Dec. 27, 1914, in ADN, Alchivo Hist6rico y Cancelados, Gildardo Magafia, XI/111/1-1o5/4o6. The roughness of the hand, the informality of the note, and the apparent continuity betweenl text and signlature make it almost certain that here, for once, is the handwriting of Zapata himilself.