Early Life
In what Mexican state was Lázaro Cárdenas born?
Michoacán
What military rank did Cárdenas achieve around 1920?
Brigadier general
During what years was Cárdenas president of Mexico?
1934–1940
Which political party selected Cárdenas as its presidential candidate?
Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR)
What is the name of the Mexican oil company created after oil nationalization?
Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex)
How many siblings did Cárdenas have?
Seven siblings
What social problems did Cárdenas witness in rural Mexico during the revolution?
Poverty, lack of schools and medical care, low wages, and loss of land
What were collective farms created through land redistribution called?
Ejidos
Which powerful Mexican politician supported Cárdenas’s candidacy in 1934?
Plutarco Elías Calles
Which country maintained a cooperative relationship with Mexico through the Good Neighbor Policy?
United States
What job did Cárdenas have after finishing elementary school?
Tax collector
In which state did Cárdenas serve as a zone commander from 1925 to 1927?
Tamaulipas
Which workers’ organization closely collaborated with Cárdenas?
Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM)
What was unusual about the way Cárdenas campaigned for president?
He personally visited isolated villages and met directly with common people
What economic problems followed many of Cárdenas’s reforms?
Inflation and declining agricultural production
Which revolution inspired Cárdenas to join the fight for change in Mexico?
The Revolution
Name one foreign oil company whose practices shocked Cárdenas.
Standard Oil or Royal Dutch Shell
What major action did Cárdenas take against foreign oil companies in 1938?
He nationalized the oil industry
What happened to Plutarco Elías Calles in 1936 after Cárdenas gained power?
He was expelled from Mexico
What values are most associated with Cárdenas’s legacy in Mexico?
Justice, equality, national sovereignty, and support for workers and peasants
Which leader’s ideals motivated Cárdenas to join the forces of Venustiano Carranza?
Francisco I. Madero
Why did Cárdenas reject the expensive gifts offered by oil companies?
Because his sense of equality
Why did many peasants struggle to make the ejidos fully productive?
They lacked farming expertise and productivity remained low
Why did some people protest against the socialist education policies supported by the Six-Year Plan?
Because many Roman Catholics opposed the Marxist and socialist ideas
According to the biography, how did Cárdenas’s life prove his strong sense of justice?
Through his defense of peasants and workers, land reform, labor support, and oil nationalization