The Indigenous BackgroundHistory of Mexico

» “Indians”

» Corn (Maize)

» Maya

» Tikal

» Caciques

» Zapotecs

» Oaxaca

» Monte Alban

» Mixtecs

» Teotihuacán

» Toltecs

» Quetzalcoatl

» Itza

Chichen Itza

Tula

League of Mayapan

Aztecs

Chichimecas

Nahuatl

Tenochtitlan

Montezuma II

Huitzilopochtli

Yaqui

The Iberian Background

• Reconquest (Reconquista) 711-1492

• Santiago• Inquisition• “Black Legend”• Christopher Columbus• Treaty of Tordesillas • Hispaniola (Santo Domingo)

1493• Diego Velazquez• Hernán (Hernando) Cortes

(Cortez)• Aguilar

• Malinche (Dona Marina)• Quetzalcoatl Legend• Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz• Tenochtitlan• Tlaxcalans• Montezuma II• Panfilo de Narvaez• Pedro de Alvarado• Smallpox• “Noche Triste”• Cuauhtémoc• Encomienda

• Audiencia• Viceroy• Antonio de Mendoza• Cortes (Parliament)• “Devine Right of Kings”• “Obedezco pero no cumplo”• Casa de Contratacion 1503• Council of the Indies 1524• Adelantados• Cabildo• Regidores (councilors)• Alcaldes Ordinarios

(magistrates)• Creoles• Oidores (Judges)

• Peninsulares (“Gachupines”)• Residencia• Presidencias• Captaincies-General• Corregidores• Reparto de Mercancias• Mestizo• Encomienda• Repartimiento• Laws of Burgos 1512• New Laws 1542• Bartolome de las Casas• Aristotle and the American

Indians

Indian Contribution to Modern

Agriculture • Potato*, sweet potato• Tomato• Pumpkin, squash• Peanut, Lima Bean• Kidney bean, chili pepper• Cacao• Agave • Sunflower seed• Pineapple

• Strawberry• Avocado, Papaya• Guava• Cashew • Vanilla bean• Corn*Dyes: Cochineal, IndigoRubber, ChicleDrugs: Coca, quinine,

Curare, TobaccoAnimals: Turkey, Llama, etc.

Bartolomé de las Casas

• Breve Relación (Brief Relation): Tells of Spanish actrocities against the Indians

• 1550-1551 debates whether Indians are

“gente de razón” with Dr. Juan Gines de Sepulveda at the Spanish court.

1544-1555: Bishop of Chiapas Mexico

Colonial Mexico

• Religous orders: Dominicans, Franciscans, Mercedarians, Augustinians, etc.

• Jesuits come later• Syncretism • Real Patrionato• Ecclesiastical Fuero• Freemasonry

• Bourbon Kings (18th Century)

• Charles III (r. 1759-1788)• Intendents• “The Enlightenment”• Rousseau• Locke• Montesquieu• Newton• Adam Smith, Wealth of

Nations• Voltaire

Background to Revolution

• Comparative Revolutions1. United States 1775-1783

• 2. French Revolution 1789

• 3. Haitian Revolution

(St. Dominique)1789-1804

• 4. Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1823

• Social or Political Revolutions?

Iberian Background to Mexican Independence

• Francisco Miranda• Napoleon• Charles IV• Manuel Godoy• Ferdinand VII• Joseph Bonaparte (“Pepe

Botellas”)• Guerilla War (from

“guerilla”-little war in Spanish

• Juntas Para La Defensa de Fernando VII

• Constitution of Cadiz 1812

• Duke of Wellington• Riego Revolt 1820• U.S. proclaims the

“Monroe Doctrine” in 1823 (written by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams) starts out as a defensive doctrine by 1880s an offensive one- 1898 Spanish American War- 20th Century US interventions

Comparison of Colonial Brazil with Colonial Mexico

including difference in background to Independence:

• Brazil a backwater of Portuguese Empire

• Lightly Populated• Portugal exerts light

control over Brazil• Black slavery important• Portugese royal family

leads independence• Slavery not ended until

almost the 20th Century

• Mexico crown jewel of Spanish Empire (along with Peru)

• Heavily populated• Spanish control tight• Indian labor important• Mexican Creoles lead

independence• Slavery quickly outlawed

after indpendence