The hacienda derived from Spanish colonialism, as Spanish noblemen established massive estates for the production of agricultural goods and other natural resources. Haciendas had an especially outsized role in economics and society in northern Mexico, and their evolution over centuries were indicative of other changes in Mexico. The first haciendas in northern Mexico were established in the areas in and around Nueva Vizcaya, in the far northern reaches of New Spain.

The area of northern Mexico was significantly isolated from the rest of New Spain in the colonial period. Only powerful individuals, like Francisco de Ibarra, a Spanish nobleman and explorer, had the capital to risk ventures into the northern stretches of Spanish Mexico

The Porfiriato, named for the rule of President Porfirio Diaz, was a moment of drastic change for Mexico. It was characterized by a robust, national modernization project that increased economic productivity and connectedness throughout the country. Haciendas across Mexico, which had remained relatively static for centuries, were swept up in the changes of modernization [6].

Revolutions and political instability in the early 20th century upended many of the assumptions about order and modernization of the Porfiriato. Initially, the uncertainty of revolution did not have a tremendous affect on the hacienda system in northern Mexico. For most estate owners, agricultural production and good harvests were the most important concerns.