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Unrecorded Map Showing Customs and Border Control on the Mexico-U.S. Border.
Attractive wall map of northern Mexico produced during the reign of Porfirio Díaz. This map shows, in great detail, the part of Mexico from the US border south to the states of Jalisco and San Luis Potosi.
The map is colored by state and shows many towns, rivers, and other features, as well as topography. Railroads, or "Ferrocarriles," are seen to go from the center of the country to the United States, crossing the border near Laredo, Paso de la Aguila, El Paso, and Nogales. Detail extends into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Baja California is shown in full. Other Mexican states shown include Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, and Sinaloa.
This map was produced for the Gendarmería Fiscal, the Mexican martial force in charge of customs enforcement. Flags denote various branches of this agency, which are mostly concentrated near the border and railways, with the commanding center located at Villa Lerdo.
This map is dedicated to Manuel Dublan, who served as director of the tax authorities and public credit from 1884 to 1891 during Porfirio Díaz's presidency. The map was lithographed in Mexico by Carlos Montauriol.
La Gendarmería Fiscal
Established by Porfirio Díaz in 1885, this unit was not only in charge of customs enforcement under the Ministry of Finance but also became the leading police unit in northern Mexico. The Gendarmería gained notoriety as ruthless in its patrol of the border and quick to dispense justice. Many of its officers came from the military elite, leading to a martial atmosphere in the unit.
While authorities in Washington D.C. and Mexico City were nominally in charge of the border, enforcement of the rules was left to this local unit. The Gendarmería, and its cross-border associates, were critical in allowing for the facilitation of local US-Mexico trade without onerous customs enforcement. They would also lobby their respective governments to lower tariffs and ease trade restrictions.
Rarity
This map is unlisted in OCLC. We were unable to find any additional examples.
