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Ornamental Nationalism: Indigenous Images In Porfirian Mexico, 1876-1911, Seonaid Valiant

Dissertations and Theses

When General Porfirio Dfaz became president of Mexico the country was unstable. During his years of leadership, 1876-1911 he managed an uneven stability. One method he used to promote nationalism was the use of symbols. This thesis derives from the theory introduced by the historian of Mexican economy, Barbara Tenenbaum, that the Porfirian administrators attempted to establish themselves as the legitimate rulers of the Mexican nation by forging a line of succession from the ancient Aztecs to themselves through association with indigenous symbols and territory. The intention of this thesis is to demonstrate that the Mexican government manipulated images of …