[Detail] Maria Gonzalez and soldaderas. Photographer - Robert Runyon.
Historical Research Capabilities
The limitations of Runyon's photographic record of the Mexican Revolution engender interesting questions that provoke further research of the war in other resources:
- Do Runyon's photographs comprise an accurate representation of the Revolution? Or do they distort the movement through the desire to sway U.S. public opinion for or against the Federales or Constitutionalists?
- Is Runyon's record of the Revolution in Northeastern Mexico and the South Texas border reflective of the Revolution throughout Mexico and along other parts of the Mexican border?
Alternatively, students may use the photograph of Francisco "Pancho" Villa with General Pershing as a starting point for research into these two individuals and their respective governments. What can students find out from the collection? What more do they need to know to get the complete picture? What search words can they formulate by looking at the collection? Teachers may want to assign several students to examine the New York Times or other newspapers for contemporary accounts of Pershing's American Expeditionary Force and its pursuit of Villa in Northeast Mexico. How did America's incursion into Mexico affect diplomatic relations between the two countries?
