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,  maintaining ­
  him  in  power  by  a  European  army.
When  the  Civil  War  had  terminated  and  it
became  evident  that  the  Washington  government ­
  would  oppose  this  European  invasion
of  Mexico,  Napoleon  III  withdrew  his  military ­
  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  presidents ­
  had  controlled  its  destinies  up  to  the
assassination  of  Francisco  Madero  and  the  assumption ­
  of  the  executive  power  by  Victoriano
  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  attempts ­
  at  revolution  are  recorded  during  the
stormy  life  of  Mexican  independence.  A  con-