If they really believed that Indians could be helped, they would have done more for education, which was instead limited to the cities. Still a predominantly rural country Costs of modernization were bonre by the rural peasantry. Fear of rurales Intimidation by hacendados Badgering by municipal officials Exploitation by foreign entrepreneurs. Seizure of private and communal lands by land sharks. Abuses of the hacienda system exacerbated under Diaz.
Railroads push land values up.
The Land Law of 1883. Land companies could survey public lands. Most couldn't Land companies buy 68 million acres within 5 years. Most are 40 to 50,000 acres. 15 were larger than 300,000 acres.