Ten Tragic Days

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ten-tragic-days

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the event?La Decena Trágica (The Ten Tragic Days)
2. What is the dates?February 9-19, 1913
3. What were the Ten Tragic Days in Mexico?They were a violent 10‑day period in February 1913 when a coup against President Madero took place in Mexico City, with fighting, artillery, and many people hurt.
4. Why did General Victoriano Huerta start a coup against President Madero?Huerta, who was supposed to protect Madero, joined forces with others who wanted to stop Madero’s new democratic government and bring back a stricter rule.

Coup d'état: A sudden, illegal, and often violent seizure of governmental power by a small group.
Mexican Revolution: A complex and bloody civil war fought from roughly 1910 to 1920 to overthrow a dictator and establish a new government.
Pact of the Embassy: An agreement brokered by the U.S. Ambassador between rival coup leaders to end the Ten Tragic Days.
Federal Army: The main military force of a country, often tasked with upholding the government.