Edited sentence: Abuses of this kind sometimes surviving into the 20th century form some of the context for the revolutionary’s hostility to the church.For centuries the church was the single largest landowner in Mexico.In addition there was the church hierarchy’s consistent support and frequent participation in the most repressive and reactionary governments.John Barrett, in love with Mexico since my first trip there in 1959.Often these peons were fitted with forged iron neckbands.Removal was under pain of death.The practice of peonage, a pernicious form of slavery whereby peasants born on church property were hereditarily indentured to the land and forbidden to leave.Ther were widespread systematic abuses of the populace.These articles may be historically correct but they provide no context to the events