Students of the Mexican Revolution have been provided the study of the public career of another significant personality of the Porfiriato, don Ramón Corral. Jesús Luna presents a well-documented study of the career of this notable individual. In a well-written essay, Luna draws on considerable archival material, and valuable secondary works. He traces the political ascent of Corral from his first position as a deputy to the Sonoran legislature, through his governorship of the state, governorship of the Federal District, Minister of Government, and finally, his tenure as Vice President of the Republic, (1904-1910). One highlight of the book is Luna’s in-depth probe of Corral’s infamous participation in the relocation of the Yaqui indiane from Sonora to the labor camps of Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Overall, this book provides good insight into the modes of political mobility during the Porfiriato. It dispels some commonly held assumptions about the rigid and closed system of political participation that supposedly existed during this period of Mexico’s history. It is a welcome contribution to the growing body of work on the historiography of the Porfiriato.
