Plan of San Diego
Encyclopedia
The Plan of San Diego was drafted by Mexican
revolutionaries to overthrow the United States
government in Texas
, New Mexico
, Arizona
and California
during the Mexican Revolution
. Objectives of the operation changed during the course of 1915 when it took place. Mexican rebels loyal to Venustiano Carranza
, known as Seditionistas, created the plan in San Diego, Texas
, on January 6, 1915. It called for the recruitment of native Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, and native American
s to rebel against the white
population of the border states by killing every male of sixteen and above within a set period of time, essentially starting a race war
. The army was to be named the "Liberating Army of Races and Peoples" (Ejército Liberador de las Razas y del Pueblo). After removing the white population, a republic
was to be created out of the American border states which would eventually be annexed to Mexico. Later the goal changed to focus primarily on Texas. The conflict was to begin on February 20, 1915, but when one of the rebel leaders, Basilio Ramos, was arrested in McAllen, Texas
, a written copy of the plan was found in his possession and the United States responded immediately by increasing troop strength on the border. Numbers of Texas Rangers
also increased to one of their all time highs due to the tension. A series of raids along the Texas border in 1915 were attributed to the plan and Carrancistas who held much of the Mexican side of the international border. Skirmishes between the Texas Rangers and Mexican raiders became common, though casualties remained light, as the rebels proved to be incapable of launching a full scale invasion and could only conduct guerilla warfare. However, some white residents blamed local Mexican Americans for the raids and attacked them, killing around 300 before United States Army
troops put an end to the violence. After these attacks, Mexican Americans in south Texas were disenfranchised and subjected to segregation.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
revolutionaries to overthrow the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. Objectives of the operation changed during the course of 1915 when it took place. Mexican rebels loyal to Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
, known as Seditionistas, created the plan in San Diego, Texas
San Diego, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,753 people, 1,548 households, and 1,187 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,917.1 people per square mile . There were 1,793 housing units at an average density of 1,100.4 per square mile...
, on January 6, 1915. It called for the recruitment of native Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, and native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s to rebel against the white
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
population of the border states by killing every male of sixteen and above within a set period of time, essentially starting a race war
Race war
Race war is a term referring to developing hostilities between ethnic groups divided on the basis of racial group or skin color. The term may refer to specific violent acts or to general overt or covert hostilities between ethnic groups; compare ethnic conflict.-Manson:The murders perpetrated by...
. The army was to be named the "Liberating Army of Races and Peoples" (Ejército Liberador de las Razas y del Pueblo). After removing the white population, a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
was to be created out of the American border states which would eventually be annexed to Mexico. Later the goal changed to focus primarily on Texas. The conflict was to begin on February 20, 1915, but when one of the rebel leaders, Basilio Ramos, was arrested in McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
, a written copy of the plan was found in his possession and the United States responded immediately by increasing troop strength on the border. Numbers of Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
also increased to one of their all time highs due to the tension. A series of raids along the Texas border in 1915 were attributed to the plan and Carrancistas who held much of the Mexican side of the international border. Skirmishes between the Texas Rangers and Mexican raiders became common, though casualties remained light, as the rebels proved to be incapable of launching a full scale invasion and could only conduct guerilla warfare. However, some white residents blamed local Mexican Americans for the raids and attacked them, killing around 300 before United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
troops put an end to the violence. After these attacks, Mexican Americans in south Texas were disenfranchised and subjected to segregation.
See also
- Bandit WarBandit WarThe Bandit War, or Bandit Wars, refers to a series of raids in Texas between 1910 and 1918 that were carried out by Mexican rebels from the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua. Before 1914, the Carrancista faction was responsible for most of the attacks but in January of 1915 rebels known...
- Plan of San Luis PotosíPlan of San Luis PotosíThe Plan of San Luis de Potosí was a political document written in San Antonio, Texas, United States, and published in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosí in 1910. The document ushered in the Mexican revolution and the collapse of the Presidency of Porfirio Díaz...
- Plans in Mexican historyPlans in Mexican HistoryIn Mexican history, a plan was a declaration of principles announced in conjunction with a rebellion, usually armed, against the central government of the country . Mexican plans were often more formal than the pronunciamientos that were their equivalent elsewhere in Spanish America and Spain...
- Battle of Columbus (1916)Battle of Columbus (1916)The Battle of Columbus, the Burning of Columbus or the Columbus Raid began as a raid conducted by Pancho Villa's Division of the North on the small United States border town of Columbus, New Mexico in March 1916. The raid escalated into a full scale battle between Villistas and the United States Army...
- Zimmermann telegramZimmermann TelegramThe Zimmermann Telegram was a 1917 diplomatic proposal from the German Empire to Mexico to make war against the United States. The proposal was caught by the British before it could get to Mexico. The revelation angered the Americans and led in part to a U.S...