On January 1, 1994, in a surprise attack, armed rebels wearing ski masks and bandanas took over six towns in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The rebels were members of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). Scholars debate what specifically motivated this uprising, which was the first guerrilla unrest Mexico had seen in 20 years. In this lesson, students explore how textbooks have told this history and analyze historical documents to investigate what motivated the Zapatista Uprising of 1994.
Image: Photo of Zapatista and federal negotiators at peace talks in 1994. From Excélsior.