Mexico's Crucial Century, 1810-1910: An IntroductionAfter Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it began the work of forging its identity as an independent nation, a process that would endure throughout the crucial nineteenth century. A weakened Mexico faced American territorial ambitions and economic pressure, and the U. S. Mexican War threatened the fledgling nation's survival. In 1876 Porfirio Daz became president of Mexico, bringing political stability to the troubled nation. Although