Emiliano Zapata

Emiliano Zapata was one of the iconic leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He was born in Morelos, and he led the peasant revolt. He commanded the guerilla army of peasants that came to be known as Ejército Libertador del Sur, ELS. His contemporary and the other iconic leader of the revolution- Francisco "Pancho" Villa, commanded the Northern Army. As noted in the previous page on the Civil War, Emiliano Zapata issued Plan de Ayala. Plan de Ayala demanded much-needed land reforms. The Federal Army from Mexico City tried to subdue Zapata's movement unsuccessfully. In July 1914, the joint constitutionalist forces of Zapata, Pancho Villa, Alvaro Obregon, and Venustiano Carranza overthrew Huerta. In October of 1914, Zapata participated in La Convención de Aguascalientes along with Carranza and Villa. However, after the disagreement between Carranza, Villa, and Zapata, the Civil War in Mexico intensified. As proposed by Zapata, the Land Reform became a part of the 1917 Mexican Constitution. Zapata was killed in an ambush in 1919. The Bancroft Library also holds oral histories related to the Mexican Revolution, including the Aguascalientes convention. Mexican Mission Papers 1913-1931 at Bancroft Library provide insights into the US perspectives about the revolution. Besides these papers, The Bancroft Library holds some letters/ correspondence of Emiliano Zapata. At UC Berkeley, "Emiliano Zapata" remains an emblem of the Mexican Revolution, and as of 2020, the Proquest Digital Dissertations databases indexes 45 doctoral dissertations with the keyword, "Emiliano Zapata." Besides being a historical icon, Emiliano Zapata has continued to serve as an object of artistic expression and fictional works.