He was a Mexican revolutionary, champion of agrarianism, and a soldier during and after the Mexican Revolution. In 1897 he was arrested because he took part in a protest by the peasants of his village against the hacienda that had appropriated their lands. After obtaining a pardon, he continued agitation among the peasants, and was forced into being drafted into the army. .

             Francisco Indalecio Madero (1873-1913), a landowner of the North, president of Mexico from 1911 to 1913 was champion of democracy and social reform. Madero led the revolution that swept through Mexico and overthrew the Porfirio Diaz regime, but he failed to implement notable reforms. Revolts broke out, and General Victoriano Huerta treacherously assassinated Madero's brother, seized power, and arrested and imprisoned Madero. He was killed while allegedly attempting to escape. .

             Francisco Madero, had lost the elections in 1910 to the dictator Porfirio Diaz and had fled to the United States, where he proclaimed himself president. Madero reentered Mexico with the help of many peasant guerrillas. Zapata and his followers decided to support Madero. In March 1911 Zapata's tiny force took the city of Cuautla and closed the road to Mexico City. A week later, Diaz resigned and left for Europe, appointing a provisional president. Zapata, with 5,000 men, entered Cuernavaca, capital of the state of Morelos. Madero insisted on the disarmament of the guerrillas and offered Zapata compensation so that he could buy land, an offer that Zapata rejected. Zapata began to disarm his forces but stopped when the provisional president sent the army against the guerrillas.

             Madero was elected president in August 1911, and Zapata met with him again but without success. Zapata had a plan to return land to the peasants. Madero received opposition from Zapata who did not want to wait for the orderly implementation of Madero's land reforms.