ABSTRACT
Two historic conditions plagued Yucatan at the close of 1910: its political, social, and economic life remained largely independent of the Mexican nation, and most societal patterns reflected a peninsular "feudalism." This chapter introduces the reader to the Peninsula, outlines the background of the some problems, and shows how revolutionary movements from northern Mexico encouraged unrest within the southeastern part of the nation. The isolation of the Peninsula, its dismemberment, and the earlier Mayan cultural identity have in various ways nurtured separatism, or sectionalism, or regionalism. There was a hesitancy to break the peace, any peace. Leading Creoles and mestizos were fearful of developments which might encourage an indigenous uprising. Edmundo Bolio has maintained that the Valladolid uprising was viewed by many Yucatecos as an example of brave men who had risen for a good cause when they saw the "spark".
