i^B SELLING LATIN AMERICA 
northern neighbor, was conquered and had 
her capital occupied by American troops. 
Taking advantage of the American Civil 
War, Napoleon III, aided by England and 
Spain, in 1862 placed the Austrian prince, 
Maximilian, on a throne in Mexico, main 
taining him in power by a European army. 
When the Civil War had terminated and it 
became evident that the Washington govern 
ment would oppose this European invasion 
of Mexico, Napoleon III withdrew his mili 
tary support, Maximilian was captured, and 
on June 19, 1867, was shot at Queretaro. On 
the death of the second Emperor of Mexico, 
the republic again came into being; six presi 
dents had controlled its destinies up to the 
assassination of Francisco Madero and the as 
sumption of the executive power by Victor- 
iano Huerta. Porfirio Diaz, who ruled from 
1877 to 1911, gave Mexico a stability that it 
never possessed before or since. 
More than 300 successful or abortive at 
tempts at revolution are recorded during the 
stormy life of Mexican independence. A con-