The Mexican Revolution is one of the most complex and defining historical processes of the 20th century for the country. While other municipalities, like San Pedro de las Colonias, Torreón, Parras, and Monclova, are recognized as key sites at the start of the movement, Saltillo was equally important in shaping the revolutionary period. As the capital of Coahuila, it was the setting for multiple events that shaped the course of the revolutionary movement. Here, anti-reelectionist strategies were planned and fundamental changes took place. Without the Coahuilan capital—and other key municipalities—the course of the Revolution would not be understood in the same way.

This selection of original documents, photographs, and newspapers preserved in the Saltillo Municipal Archive provides a glimpse of Saltillo's life during this pivotal moment: the city's political organization; the effects of the Porfirian government; the rise of anti-reelectionist groups supporting Francisco I. Madero; the tensions that gave rise to armed conflict; and the ways in which Saltillo’s inhabitants witnessed the changes brought by the revolution. Collectively, they illustrate the city's experience before, during, and after the Mexican Revolution.