Francisco I. Madero
Francisco Madero was a wealthy northern landowner and spiritualist whose 1910 book 'La sucesión presidencial' challenged Díaz's dictatorship and launched the Mexican Revolution. His Plan de San Luis Potosí called for armed uprising on 20 November 1910. When Díaz fell faster than expected and resigned in May 1911, Madero was elected president with 99% of the vote — the only genuinely free election in Mexico's early history. His presidency (1911-1913) was immediately undermined from all sides: Emiliano Zapata published the Plan de Ayala denouncing him for failing to distribute land, Orozco led a rebellion in Chihuahua, and conservative generals plotted with US Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson. The Decena Trágica (Tragic Ten Days, February 1913) — a military coup staged in Mexico City with Wilson's connivance — resulted in Madero's arrest. He was taken from prison and shot while allegedly trying to escape ('Ley Fuga'). His assassination transformed the revolution: his moderate democratic program gave way to the more radical demands of Zapata and Carranza.
- Lived: 1873 CE – 1913 CE
- Nationality: mexican
- Roles: president, revolutionary, head_of_state
