The first country that wanted to conquer Mexico was Cuba under the rule of Diego Velasquez (J). He decided to send out two explorers to check out the Yucatan Peninsula. In 1517, under the orders of the governer of Cuba, Fransisco Hernandez de Cordoba and Juan de Grijalbathat set out to Mexico (J). Velasquez decided to hire Hernan Cortes to help out with the conquest of the new land. In 1518, Cortes disobeyed Velasquezes orders, and left him with 500 other conquistadores(J).
In 1519, Hernan Cortes, looking for new land for Spain, enetered Mexico (H). Cortes was first attracted to Mexico because of its fertile lands (H). When he arrived, he discovered many different native people like the Aztecs and the Mayans. Cortes had very different interactions with each group of people.
The Mayans:
The first people that Cortes had contact with when he first arrived on the new land were the Mayans. The Mayans were never unified, but many different groups lived in different areas, but all had the same culture and rituals (H). They created Chac Mool statues, in which they placed a human heart from a sacrifice on (H). They also had developed a calender, writing system, and understood some mathematics (H). General Alvarado, from the Spanish crew, attacked one of the Mayan temples (H). After doing this, Cortes became furious at the general knowing that this could cause their expedition to come to an end. Cortes realized that defeating the Mayans would be very difficult because they did not have one ruler to overthrow. The Spanish would have to individually conquer each group of Mayans which they were unable to do. Even today there are still some Mayan tribes that practice their original culture, religion, and rituals.
The Aztecs:
In 1521, Cortes conquered the Aztecs. The Aztecs were a polytheistic people, and believed that one of their Gods was to come back to walk the earth (E). This God was pictured by the Aztecs as very similar in appearance to the Spaniards coming on to their land (E). Therefore, when they arrived, the Aztecs treated the conquistadors with tremendous respect, and brought them many gifts (E). The Aztecs great intentions towards the Spaniards were thrown away by Spain because all they wanted to do was conquer the Aztecs, and convert them to Christianity. The Spaniards yelled at the natives in a language they did not understand, and made them bow down to God. If they did not oblige, they would be killed or enslaved (E). This, along with the Spaniards superior military technology, and them bringing in new diseases the Aztecs had no immunity to, killed off most of the Aztecs (E). Despite how much damage the Spaniards had already done to the Aztecs, Cortes still attacked the capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519 (E). Cortes entered the capital, and took their ruler, Montezuma, hostage. The Aztec ruler eventually died, which led to "La Noche Triste". "La Noche Triste" was an uprising by the Aztecs in which they tried to run the Spaniards out of Tenochtitlan (E). They were successful in July of 1520 (E). Even though the Spanish were forced out of the capitol, with the help of another indegounous tribe, Cortes went back into Tenochtitlan and destroyed the capitol on August 13, 1521 (E).
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Independence
The Mexican War of Independence lasted for 11 years, and the fight for freedom was not an easy one. After being enslaved and tortured for hundreds of years, the Mexicans had had enough, and were ready to fight for their independence (A). One very important person that helped with the independence of Mexico was Don Miguel Hidalgo, a Creole (a Spaniard born in New Spain), and a Catholic priest in the village Dolores, Guanajuato (E). The Creoles hated the Spanish control, and didn't like the way the natives and the mestizos (indigenous and Spanish mix) were treated (G). They all got together, and started plotting against the Spanish control (G). In the early morning of September 16, 1810, Hidalgo did his famous "Grito de Dolores." In this "cry", Hidalgo demanded the arrest of any Spaniards that lived in Dolores (G). He then rang the church bell, which called all the people in the village to the church. After everyone arrived, he declared war against Spain.
The time of this rebellion, was also the time when Spain was being abducted by France. Napoleon III, had stripped the ruler of Spain from his throne, and placed his brother, Bonaparte as king instead (E). The new ruler was the reason the Creoles resented the Spanish government (E).
The war of independence started with the natives, mestizos, and creoles getting together and attacking any white men or Criollos (upper class Spanish). Before entering the capitol of New Spain, they returned home to create a stronger army. After getting an army of 80,000 men together, they decided to enter the capitol (G). Francisco Venegas, a Spanish military officer, was appalled by their daring act. Hidalgo and his followers suffered a great defeat right outside the capitol before they could even enter it (G). In order to regain their strength, they moved up North, where there were some revolutionary events, but none that impacted their fight for freedom as much as they would have liked (F).
On March 21, 1811, a former follower of Hidalgo, Ignacio Elizondo, turned his back on them. He helped on the capture and execution of Hidalgo and his followers in Chihuahua (F). After Hidalgo's death, Jose Morelos, a follower of Hidalgo, took his place in leading the fight for independence (F). With his help, the cities of Oaxaca and Acapulco were conquered by the mestizos, creoles, and the indigenous (F). Even though Morelos was successful, in 1815 he was executed by the Spanish (F) .
After Morelos's death, most of the fighting in the war of Mexican Independence were fought by groups called guerilla groups (I). Vicente Guerrero took leadership in Oaxaca (I). In December, 1820 the viceroy of New Spain, Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, sent an army out to Oaxaca to fight against Guerrero (I).
A year later, on September 27, 1821, the Spanish and the Mexicans signed the treaty of Cordoba (J). Three years later, in 1824, they designed a constitution. Even though Mexico won their independence, they were not quite ready for it. For the next 40 years, Mexico's government was unstable, and went through a total of 56 new governments (J).
The time of this rebellion, was also the time when Spain was being abducted by France. Napoleon III, had stripped the ruler of Spain from his throne, and placed his brother, Bonaparte as king instead (E). The new ruler was the reason the Creoles resented the Spanish government (E).
The war of independence started with the natives, mestizos, and creoles getting together and attacking any white men or Criollos (upper class Spanish). Before entering the capitol of New Spain, they returned home to create a stronger army. After getting an army of 80,000 men together, they decided to enter the capitol (G). Francisco Venegas, a Spanish military officer, was appalled by their daring act. Hidalgo and his followers suffered a great defeat right outside the capitol before they could even enter it (G). In order to regain their strength, they moved up North, where there were some revolutionary events, but none that impacted their fight for freedom as much as they would have liked (F).
On March 21, 1811, a former follower of Hidalgo, Ignacio Elizondo, turned his back on them. He helped on the capture and execution of Hidalgo and his followers in Chihuahua (F). After Hidalgo's death, Jose Morelos, a follower of Hidalgo, took his place in leading the fight for independence (F). With his help, the cities of Oaxaca and Acapulco were conquered by the mestizos, creoles, and the indigenous (F). Even though Morelos was successful, in 1815 he was executed by the Spanish (F) .
After Morelos's death, most of the fighting in the war of Mexican Independence were fought by groups called guerilla groups (I). Vicente Guerrero took leadership in Oaxaca (I). In December, 1820 the viceroy of New Spain, Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, sent an army out to Oaxaca to fight against Guerrero (I).
A year later, on September 27, 1821, the Spanish and the Mexicans signed the treaty of Cordoba (J). Three years later, in 1824, they designed a constitution. Even though Mexico won their independence, they were not quite ready for it. For the next 40 years, Mexico's government was unstable, and went through a total of 56 new governments (J).
The After-effect
During Mexico's struggle for a stable, centralized government, one of their rulers, Antonio Lopez, lost a bunch of Mexico's territory to the United States (J). This loss lead to the Mexican-American war in 1846. Because of Lopez's terrible leadership skills, Benito Juarez, an Indian living in Mexico, overthrew Lopez as president (J).
Benito Juarez's leadership did not end with just this, he went on to oversee the change of powers in Mexico. He watched the government shift from the power of the Creoles to the mestizos (J). Juarez also served as the president for a while, and helped Mexico get back on their feet.
Not only were there the short-term effects of Mexico's struggle for their independence, but there were also some long-term effects that are still present today:
After being colonized by the Spanish for over 300 years, Mexico's culture was influenced by the Spaniards. First and most evident, Mexico speaks Spanish because of being conquered by the Spaniards for so long. Also, Don Miguel Hidalgo's, "Grito de Dolores" is reenacted everywhere in Mexico by the President on the night of Spetember 15 to celebrate their cry of independence.
Benito Juarez's leadership did not end with just this, he went on to oversee the change of powers in Mexico. He watched the government shift from the power of the Creoles to the mestizos (J). Juarez also served as the president for a while, and helped Mexico get back on their feet.
Not only were there the short-term effects of Mexico's struggle for their independence, but there were also some long-term effects that are still present today:
After being colonized by the Spanish for over 300 years, Mexico's culture was influenced by the Spaniards. First and most evident, Mexico speaks Spanish because of being conquered by the Spaniards for so long. Also, Don Miguel Hidalgo's, "Grito de Dolores" is reenacted everywhere in Mexico by the President on the night of Spetember 15 to celebrate their cry of independence.
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