Mexico Mexico magnificent ports, from Acapulco to governed almost absolutely. The revolu Guaymas, many of which are scarcely if tion begun by a priest, Hidalgo, in 1810, at all frequented. The imports consist continued with more or less vigor till 1821, chiefly of cotton, woolen and linen manu- and secured the independence of Mexico. factures, wrought-iron and machinery: After an unsuccessful attempt to secure and the exports of the precious metals, a Bourbon prince for the throne, Iturbide, sisal-hemp, coffee, hides and mahogany the chief of the insurgents, caused himself and other woods. The railways are being to be proclaimed emperor, May 18, 1822, rapidly developed, largely by aid of under the title of Augustin I, but was A new United States capital, and the country forced to abdicate, March, 1823. being opened to commerce. The length form of government, on federal republican of railways in 1910 was 15,256 miles, in- principles, was then established. Texas cluding a line across the Tehauntepec rebelled in 1835 and won its independence, isthmus from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and a war with the United States in with a large transit trade. 1847-48 led to the loss of a great section Administration, etc.-Mexico is divid- of its territory. A French army invaded ed into twenty-seven States; two Terri- Mexico in 1862, and the Austrian archtories, Lower California and Tepic; and duke Maximilian was made emperor (1864 the Federal District, which comprises -1867). In 1871 Juarez was elected presiMexico, the capital of the republic, and a dent, succeeded by Lerdo de Tejada, who small portion of the adjoining territory. in 1876 was overthrown by Porfirio Diaz, The population in 1910 was 15,063,207. who was continuously re-elected until The proportion of the different races in 1910. Francisco Madero in that year the population is believed to be 20 per organized a revolution, and forced Diaz Madero was later elected cent. of pure whites, 43 per cent. of mixed to resign. The president: but in February, 1913, he too race, and the remainder Indians. Creoles are naturally the dominant race, was forced to resign and was soon after General Victoriano Huerta, and the Spanish language is generally assassinated. spread over Mexico. Roman Catholicism, commander of the federal troops, was then the state religion of Mexico until 1857, is proclaimed provisional head of the repubstill the prevailing religion. But there is lic, and before the year was out he had as dictator. The now no connection between church and established himself state. All religions are tolerated, but no United States refused to recognize Huerta religious body can own landed property. and occupied Vera Cruz, and a revolution Primary education is compulsory, but the against him under Carranza and Villa law is not strictly enforced. The schools forced him to withdraw, Carranza sucMexico remained are supported partly by the central and ceeding as President. partly by the state government, and neutral during the European war (q. v.). partly by charitable foundations sup- An attack by bandits under Villa on a ported by voluntary subscriptions. The New Mexican town led to intervention by present form of government is that of a the United States in March, 1916. The federal republic, each member of which American forces were withdrawn early in The 1917. Carranza was assassinated in May, manages its own internal concerns. supreme executive power is vested in a 1920. General Alva Obregon was elected president, who has powers very similar President in September, 1920. to those of the President of the United Mexico, capital of the republic of States. The revenue usually amounts to Mexico, is situated within $60,000,000; the debt, foreign and domes- the state of Mexico in the federal distic, amounts to about $226,000,000. The trict (473 sq. miles), about 7400 feet exports in 1910 amounted to $129,508,- above the level of the sea, near several lakes. It is situated at about an equal 002; the imports to $97.039,050. History. Prior to 1521 Mexico was distance from Vera Cruz on the Mexican inhabited by an Aztec race and ruled by Gulf, and Acapulco on the Pacific, and (See Aztecs.) This is laid out with great regularity. native emperors. It is race had attained a considerable degree on the site of the ancient city of Tenochof civilization, and interesting remains of titlan, which was destroyed on the capits architecture are existent in the teo- ture of Mexico by the Spaniards in 1521. callis or pyramids of Cholula, Pueblo and The principal public buildings are the Papantla. In 1521 Mexico was con- Cathedral, a large Renaissance building, quered by the Spaniards under Hernando founded in 1573, on the north side of the Cortez. Cortez called it New Spain, and Plaza, a public square of 14 acres; the was created captain-general, but in 1535 National Palace, used for government was displaced by a viceroy. From that offices, on the east side of the Plaza; the date till 1821 the country was one of the City Hall, on the south side of the Plaza: viceroyalties of Spanish America, and the National Museum, National Library, Mexico etc. There are numerous convents, hospitals, churches, theaters, etc. The manufactures are of comparatively limited ex tent, and the trade is mostly in the hands of foreigners. This city enjoys a mild cli mate, and a healthy atmosphere. (1910), 470,659. Pop. Mexico, one of the states of the Mex ican republic; area, 8950 sq. miles. It lies in the south of Mexico, and forms an elevated region, one of the best cultivated and most thickly peopled parts of the republic. Its capital is Toluca, but it embraces within its boundaries the city and Federal District of Mexico. Pop. 975,019. Mexico, Mexico, GULF OF, a large bay or gulf Miami them that his fame as a composer is founded. Besides his operas Meyerbeer wrote a great number of songs, an oratorio, cantatas, a Te Deum, etc. Meyrick (mer'ik), SIR SAMUEL RUSH, an English archæologist, born in 1783; died in 1848. He formed a finely arranged collection of medieval armor, now in South Kensington Museum. His chief work is the beautifully illustrated Critical Enquiry into Ancient Armor (best ed. 3 vols., 1844). Mezereon (me-ze're-on; Daphne Mezereum), a well-known shrub grown in gardens, having fragrant pink flowers that appear in spring before the leaves, and are followed by red and poisonous berries. The bark is exceedingly acrid, and has been used in medicine. See Daphne. Mézières (ma-zyar), a town of France, capital of department Ardennes, on the right bank of the Meuse, 120 miles northeast of Paris. It is a fortress of the second class. Pop. 7884. of the Atlantic, oval in form and nearly surrounded by a continuous Mezzanine (met'za-nen), in architec coast line 3000 miles in length, of the ture, a story of small United States and Mexico;_estimated height introduced between two higher area, 800,000 square miles. From it is ones; an entresol. named the Gulf Stream, which issues Mezzofanti (met-zo-fån'tē), GIUSEPPE, from it by the Strait of Florida. cardinal, distinguished Meyer (mi'er), GEORGE VON LENGERKE, for his knowledge of languages, was born cabinet official, was born at in 1771, at Bologna, and died at Naples Boston, Massachusetts, in 1858. He be- in 1849. He succeeded Mai as keeper of came a member of the Massachusetts leg- the Vatican library. Towards the end islature in 1892 and speaker 1894-96. He of his life he is said to have understood was sent as ambassador to Italy in 1900, and spoken fifty-eight languages, but he to Russia in 1905, and was appointed rendered no valuable services to learning. Postmaster General in 1907 and Secretary Mezzotint (mez'o-tint: It. mezzo, of the Navy in 1909. middle, half, and tinto, Meyerbeer (mi'er-bar), GIACOMO, tint), a particular manner of engraving musical composer, born on copper or steel in imitation of paintin Berlin in 1791; died af Paris in 1864. ing in Indian ink, the lights and gradaHis father, Jakob Beer, was a rich tions being scraped and burnished out of banker of Jewish descent. He gave early a prepared dark ground. The surface of proof of his devotion to music, and at the plate is first completely covered with nine was regarded as one of the best minute incisions, so that it would give in pianists in Berlin. He studied under this condition a uniform black impression. Bernhard Anselm Weber at Berlin, and The design is then drawn on the face, and the Abbé Vogler at Darmstadt, where he the dents are erased from the parts where began his life-long friendship with Karl the lights of the piece are to be, the parts Maria von Weber. His first two operas, which are to represent shades being left Jephtha's Daughter and Abimelek, the untouched or partially scraped according one produced at Munich and the other at to the depth of tone. Vienna, having failed, he went to Italy, Miako. There he rapidly composed a series of operas in the Italian style, which were Miami generally well received. In 1826 he went See Kioto. (mi-a'mi), a river of the United States, in Ohio, joining the Cincinnati; length 150 miles. a town of Gila Co., Arizona, to Paris. There he produced Robert le Ohio below Diable (1831); Les Huguenots (Paris, Miami, miles from Globe, in a 1836); Le Prophète (1849); Pierre le Water power is Grand (1854); L'Africaine (1865), etc. copper-mining district. In these Parisian operas he ceases to be derived from the great Roosevelt Dam an imitator of the Italians, and it is upon (q. v.). Pop. (1920) 6689. Miami Miami, a city, county seat of Dade Co., Florida, beautifully situ ated on Biscayne Bay, at the mouth of the Miami River. It is a winter resort of great and growing popularity, on ac count of its beauty of location and its Michaud of Judah. He prophesied in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, and was a contemporary of Isaiah. His style is pure and correct, his images bold and vivid. Mica Schist, Mica Slate, remarkably equable climate. Steamers run from here to Havana, etc. It has a metamorphic rock. composed of mica extensive fruit and truck-growing inter- and quartz; it is highly fissile and passes ests; grape fruit, oranges, limes, pine- by insensible gradations into clay-state. apples and other fruits grow in rich Michael, (mi'kel), ST. (Hebrew, he abundance. The city has the commissionwho is equal to God?'), in manager form of government. Pop. Jewish theosophy, the greatest of the an(1910) 5471; (1920) 29,549. gels (Daniel x, 13, 21; xii, 1), one of Miami, a city, county seat of Ottawa Co., Oklahoma, 80 miles N. E. of Tulsa. It has lead and zinc mines. Pop. (1920) 6802. Miami University, al a coeducationinstitution of learning at Oxford, Ohio, organized in 1809. It has a college of liberal arts, normal college, etc. The student roll is about 1000. Miasma, pl. MIASMATA. See Malaria. Miautse (mi-aut'se), a race of people found in the provinces of Yunnan, Kweichow, Kwang-tse and Kwang-tung in China. They are one of the aboriginal tribes of the country. the seven archangels. In the New Testa ment he is spoken of as the guardian an- manders (K.C.M.G.), and Companions Mica (mika), a mineral of foliated Michael, structure, consisting of thin flex ible laminæ or scales, having a shining, one of the Azores. pearly, and almost metallic luster. These Michael Angelo. See Buonarrotti. are sometimes parallel, sometimes inter woven, sometimes wavy or undulated, Michaelis (mi-ha-a'lis). JOHANN DAVID, a German theolo 1791. He was professor of philosophy in the University of Göttingen from 1745 till his death. His labors in biblical criticism and history are of great value. His principal works are Mosaisches Recht (translated into English, under the title of Commentaries on the Laws of Moses); Introductions to the Study of the Old and New Testaments (the latter has been translated by Marsh); Translations of the Old and New Testaments; and grammatical and lexicographical productions. Michaelmas (mikel-mas), the feast of St. Michael and All Angels (see Michael, St.). It falls on the 29th of September, and is supposed to have been established towards the close of the fifth century. In England. Michaelmas is one of the regular dates for settling rents. sometimes representing filaments. The laminæ of mica are easily separated, and gian and orientalist, born in 1717; died in are sometimes not more than the 300,000th part of an inch in thickness. The plates are sometimes as large as 18 inches diameter. They are employed in Russia for window panes, and in that state are called muscovy glass. Mica enters into the composition of the crystalline rocks, as granite, gneiss, mica schists, chlorites. talcose rocks, and occurs in trappean and volcanic products. It is found also in many sedimentary rocks, as shales and sandstones, giving them their laminated texture. In the latter case, it is derived from the disintegration of the crystalline rocks. It is essentially a silicate of alumina, with which are variously combined small proportions of the silicates of potash, soda, lithia, oxide of iron, oxide of manganese, etc.. in accordance with which several species have been constituted, as common or potash mica, lithia Michaelmas Crocus, the autumn mica, magnesia mica, pearl mica. Recrocus (Colgarded as minerals, varieties of mica have chicum autumnale). received the names of biotite, lepidolite. Michaud (mi-sho), JOSEPH FRANÇOIS. muscovite, lepidomelane, steatite, etc. a French historian and pubHis Micah (nika), the sixth of the minor licist, born in 1767; died in 1839. prophets, a member of the tribe principal works are Histoire des Croi Michel Michoacan sades, Bibliothèque des Croisades, Bio- producing apples, peaches, pears, plums graphie Moderne, and Biographie Univer- and other fruit. The lumber industry eelle (originated 1811). once so important, has decreased within Michel (mi-shell), FRANCISQUE XAV- recent years; but manufactures have inIER, a French antiquarian and creased at rapid rate. The cultivation of miscellaneous writer, born at Lyons in fruit trees is receiving increasing atten1809; died at Paris in 1887. He edited tion, and considerable quantities of apples a large number of old MSS., and trans- and peaches are exported. The mines 'n lated the works of several British poets. the northern peninsula contain enormous His best-known works are Les Ecossais deposits of red hematite iron ore, of unen France, et Les Français en Ecosse, rivaled purity and excellence, from which and A Critical Inquiry into the Scottish are obtained great quantities of iron. Language. Here also are seated very rich copper Michelet (mēsh-la), JULES, a French mines, the copper often occurring in large historian and miscellaneous masses of pure metal. Salt of unsurwriter, was born in Paris in 1798; died passed purity occurs in various parts of in 1874. In 1821 he was called to the the lower peninsula. It is obtained from chair of history in the Collége Rollin, beds by wells and the yield is large, being where he was also professor of ancient second only to that of New York. Manulanguages and of philosophy till 1826. facturing industries are varied and imAfter the revolution of 1830 he was ap- portant. The commerce of the state is pointed chief of the historical section of greatly benefited by its large navigable the archives of France, and in 1838 be- waters and by its extensive system of came professor of history at the Collége railways, which measure about 9000 de France. He lost all his offices at the miles. The capital is Lansing, but the coup d'état in 1851. His principal his- commercial metropolis and much the torical works are: Histoire de France largest city is Detroit, Grand Rapids (18 vols., 1833-66); Histoire de la Ré- being next in size. In the schools educavolution Française (7 vols., 1847-53); tion is free, and excellent provisions are Histoire Romaine; Précis de l'Histoire made for advanced studies in higher Moderne; Précis de l'Histoire de France branches. At the head of the state educajusqu'à la Révolution; Origines du Droit tional system is the University of MichiFrançais. He wrote also a number of gan, situated at Ann Arbor. The first works on social subjects, and after 1856 settlements in Michigan were made by the produced several books on natural his- French. It was included in the territory tory and philosophy. surrendered by Britain to the United after the Revolutionary war. Michigan (mish'i-gan) one of the States north-central United Michigan became a state of the Union in States; area, 57,980 square miles. It 1837. Pop. (1900) 2.420,982; (1910) consists of two separate peninsulas-one 2,810,173; (1920) 3.668,412. projecting eastward between Lakes Supe Michigan LAKE, the only one of the rior, Huron and Michigan, and bounded Great Lakes lying wholly inland by Wisconsin; the other project- within the United States; bounded by ing northward between Lakes Michigan, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and IndiHuron, St. Clair and Erie, and bounded ana. It connects with Lake Huron by on the south by Ohio and Indiana. It Mackinac Strait. Area, 22,400 sq. miles; has upwards of 1100 miles of lake-coast, length, 307 miles; average width, 65 miles. with numerous bays and excellent harUNIVERSITY OF, a State bors. The northwestern peninsula, occucoeducational institution, pying nearly a third of the whole surface, at Ann Arbor, Mich., organized in 1837. is comparatively elevated, and presents It has academic, law, engineering, medical, a succession of mountains and lakes, dental and other departments; also Gradplains, rivers and forests. The surface uate School. Faculty, 617; students, 9400. Michigan, of the other peninsula is gently undulat- Michigan City, a city of Laporte ing, and rises gradually from the lakes Co., Indiana, situ towards its center. It is mostly cov- ated on Lake Michigan, about 38 miles ered with fine forests of timber, inter- E. S. E. of Chicago. It contains the Indispersed with plains and prairies. Ag- ana State Prison. It has important manriculture is the staple industry, the chief ufactures, including railroad cars, chairs, cereals being wheat and Indian corn. hosiery, gloves, etc. It has steamship Wheat of excellent quality is produced on lines to Chicago and Milwaukee. the land cleared of timber. The remain (1910) 19,027; (1920) 19.457. one of ing crops include oats, barley, buckwheat, Michoacan (me-cho-a-kän'), the states of Mexico, on rye, hay, potatoes, beans, beets, etc. In the w. and s. is a prolific fruit belt, the Pacific Coast; area, 22,656 sq. miles Pop. |