Pancho Villa

On June 5th, 1878 the man who would one day become a celebrated cultural icon of the Mexican people, Pancho Villa, was born. Originally named Doroteo Arango, he was born into a poor labour class family living in San Juan del Río, Durango, Mexico. To understand the man and the choices he made, one must understand the world into which he was born (Johnson, 2017).

Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th century was experiencing great cultural and economic change, but with these changes came unrest and discontent. Mexico had been under the rule of President Porfirio Díaz, a man who had risen to power as a military general and would later seized control of the government in a political coup. Díaz would rule over Mexico for thirty years in a time

Pancho Villa was accused of stealing General Victoriano Huerta commander’s horse and was sentenced to death (Pancho Villa, n.d.). President Madero was able to suspend the death sentence but Villa was still imprisoned in 1912 (Pancho Villa, n.d.). Villa would escape imprisonment in December of 1912 and return to the northern territories. On February 22nd 1913 Francisco Madero was assassinated and Victoriano Huerta assumed the presidency. Upon hearing this Pancho Villa returned to the revolution. At the time Pancho Villa was one of the commanders of the formidable north Mexican army known as the Division del Norte (Pancho Villa, n.d.). The conflict on the border caught the attention of many in the United States, including the Hollywood's Mutual Film Company who in 1913 signed a deal with Pancho Villa to film and photograph several of the battles he engaged in. (Pancho Villa, n.d.). Toward the end of 1913, Villa forces recaptured the state of Chihuahua from federal forces in what would be the bloodiest battle of the Mexican Revolution (Johnson,

These incursions culminated in April of 1916 when 400 of Villa’s troops crossed the border and attacked Columbus New Mexico, killing 17 people and burning the center of town. This earned a quick response from the United States as Troops under the leadership of General John J. Pershing were sent into Mexico to retaliate against Villa in what would be known as The Punitive Expedition. This would mark the first time airplanes were used by the United States army in a military operation (Mexican Punitive Expedition, 2002). While unsuccessful in capturing Villa, the Punitive Expedition was able to scatter Villa’s forces effectively bringing an end to his ability maintain any real contention for power in Mexico. Villa and his men would continue to oppose Carranza until Carranza’s death in 1920 (Johnson, 2017). The new President of Mexico sought to bring an end to any hostilities with Pancho Villa and offered him a ranch in Chihuahua on the condition that Villa surrender his arms. Villa took this opportunity and lived a peaceful life as a rancher for 3 years outside of the political sphere before he was assassinated on July 20, 1923 outside the city of Parral (Johnson,