Taken between 1912 and 1917, this photograph depicts an execution in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. In the photo, American border troops stand watch in the background while two young, Mexican men are hung on a tree. An armed Mexican soldier poses in the foreground of the photograph. The Mexican soldier looks on without any emotion or expression in his face, perhaps questioning his role in his countrymen’s execution. While the white men in the background appear to be grudgingly overseeing the execution, squinting their eyes with their hands in their pockets. The scene takes place in an empty dirt field with what looks like a small ranch or house off in the distance. These observations lead me to question what the reason was for the execution of these young men and, furthermore, who exactly are the white men looking on at the execution in the photo?

http://digitalcollections.smu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/mex/id/301