The Roots of Modern Day Mexico 6 th Grade Social Studies

The Arrival of the Spanish  Hernan Cortes first landed in Mexico  Hoped to gain new lands for Spain and gold and glory for himself  Landed in 1519 with 500 soldiers  Claimed land for king and queen  However, he quickly learned this land was ruled by Aztec emperor Montezuma II

A Clash of Cultures  Montezuma II ruled a empire between 5 and 6 million people  Some wanted to be free so they helped Spanish conquer the Aztec king  However, they did not expect the Spanish would become their new rulers

The First Encounter  Montezuma II first welcomed Cortes with gifts, even allowed Cortes to stay in a royal palace  Within a week, Cortes took Montezuma II prisoner and took control of the Aztec Empire

The Spanish Takeover  Other leaders drove the Spanish from Tenochtitlan (the capital)  During that fighting, Montezuma II was killed  Spanish retook the city, greatly aided by their Native American allies  Another advantage: their weapons  Aztec had clubs, spears, and arrows  Spanish had steel swords, armor, guns, and cannons, as well as horses  Explain why it was so easy for the Spanish to take over.

The Founding of New Spain  Fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521 marked the end of the Aztec empire and beginning of Spanish rule  Called “New Spain”  Established Mexico City as their capital in the spot the Aztec capital used to stand  Ruled Mexico for 300 years

A New Way of Life  Changed a lot about the Mexican way of life  Brought new animals – horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs  New trades – ironsmithing and shipbuilding  New religion - Christianity

The Influence of the Church  Catholic church quickly became a powerful influence  Set up churches, schools, and hospitals  Some Native Americans accepted it willingly, sometimes they were forced to become a Christian against their will

A Cultural Blend  Old ways were not lost entirely  Essential element of Native American cooking was the tortilla  Tortillas are still made daily all over Mexico  As with food, many other aspects of the two cultures blended in the new Mexican culture  Ever tried a tortilla? Want to taste one?

The War of Independence  Many Mexican political and religious writers in the early 1800s were saying Mexicans should be free to choose their own government  Demand for freedom grew stronger after 1808 when France conquered Spain

A Cry for Freedom  Before dawn of September 16, 1810 – farmers in the mountain village of Dolores heard their church bells ringing  Father Miguel Hidalgo gave a fiery speech urging them to throw off Spanish rule  Known as Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) – marched to Mexico City and thousands joined them along the way

A Difficult Challenge  Father Hidalgo’s army had few weapons – mostly carried clubs and farm tools  When they faced the government soldiers, farmers were soon defeated  Father Hidalgo was captured and executed, but the revolution he had sparked did not die

Independence at Last  New leaders took Father Hidalgo’s place  Struggle lasted for 11 years  1821 – rebels finally overthrew the Spanish government and Mexico became independent  Peninsulares and criollos still ruled the country  Native Americans and mestizos benefited little from idependence from Spain

The Mexican Revolution  Francisco Madero – one of the first revolutionary leaders  Wanted land of their own  Emiliano Zapata – legendary fighter for farmers’ rights

 Between 1910 and 1920 more than 1 million Mexicans died in battles of the Revolution  1917 – new constitution written – one promise was to distribute land equally  Institutional Revolutionary Party  Won all elections from

Government Today  Vicente Fox – new president  31 states make up nation  They have elections  State and local governments