1. Mexico: Empire, Independence, and Nation Building Part One

2. Empires, Colony and Independence
Mexico is a large, geographically diverse nation
Northern Mexico is largely desert
Southern Mexico is mostly tropical rain forest

4. Mexico’s Topography The Sierra Madre mountains run north and south
A high plain to plateau runs down the central part of Mexico
The altitude of Mexico City is 7200 feet

5. Aztec Mexico
The Aztecs or “Mexica” were the last of the mainly nomadic tribes to enter the valley of Mexico from the north
Wherever they appeared, they were violently driven away from the native population

7. Aztec Mexico
The Aztec’s spoke the same language as the old Toltecs, (Nahuatl)
They were considered “uncivilized” by their neighbors

8. Aztec Mexico
After a series of defeats and humiliations, the Aztecs established themselves on an Island in Lake Texcoco.
They would achieve independence , eventually conquering their neighbors and building a large Empire

9. Aztec Mexico
The Aztec’s required all conquered peoples to pay a heavy and burdensome tax
After only one century the Aztec empire grew rich and powerful

10. Aztec Mexico
Hernando Cortez, a Spanish adventurer, marched his soldiers into Tenochtitlan in 1519
It’s magnificent size and engineered temples, places, and gardens astonished the Spanish “Conquistadors”

13. Aztec Mexico
The Spanish, with the help of native allies that resented Aztec Rule, would defeat the Aztecs
This Began the 300 year long colonial period called, “New Spain”

14. Hernando Cortes Ferdinand VII

15. New Spain One “empire” was replaced by another
Cortes and the Spanish are often “demonized” by historians
Should both the Aztecs and Spanish be considered brutal and exploitative and “oppressive” in their rule over Mexico?

17. Four Social Classes Peninsulares- Spanish born
Criollos- Mexican-born Spaniards
Mestizo- Mixed native and Spanish race (replaced dying off population)
Native- indigenous population, mostly died off from disease

18. Peninsulares
Criollos
Native Americans
Mestizo

19. New Spain
The Colonial Government of New Spain was dominated by “Peninsulares” despite the Criollos being a ten to one majority

20. New Spain
The Spanish King had rewarded the “Conquistadors” by granting them both hacienda’s and the Natives who worked them in a forced labor system known as Encomienda
Native Americans lived a peasant like existance

21. New Spain
On ejidos, community lands, peasant (”peon-es”) did “subsistent” farming to meet their own basic needs
Many landless, jobless peasants traveled from place to place as migrant workers

22. New Spain An elite few owned most of the land
Land distribution and lack of economic opportunity for the masses would be a recurrent theme in Mexican History

23. Mexican Independence
In 1807, Napoleon’s French forces occupied Spain, setting up his brother, Joseph, as King
Confusion spread through out Mexico
The French Revolution and Napoleonic wars diverted the attention of Spain, leading to increasing discontent and desire for an Independent Mexico

24. Napoleon

25. Mexican Independence
Neither Peninsulares nor the upper class Criollos desired to involve the majority of Native Americans and Mestizos in government
Lack of political participation and “elitist”rule would also be a recurrent theme in Mexican History

26. Mexican Independence
Mexican born Criollos resented the Spanish born “gachupines”, who had legal and social priority and “privilege” over them
With French control of Spain, the Criollos recognized an opportunity to overthrow Peninsular rule

27. Mexican Independence
Father Miguel Hidalgo was a well educated priest sympathetic to the Native Americans
Unusual for most Mexican Clergymen
Against Colonial Law, Hidalgo taught Native Americans to grow olives, mulberries, grapevines, and how to make pottery

28. Father Miguel Hidalgo

29. Hidalgo Hidalgo had close ties with the Criollo revolutionaries
He called on Native Americans and Mestizos to his church in Dolores, calling for a rebellion so that Mexicans could govern themselves

30. September 16th, 1810
Hidalgo called on them to rebel against the hated Gachupines, who had exploited and oppressed the Mexican people for ten generations (200 years)
His revolt was a radical change from the original plot devised by the Criollos

31. Hidalgo’s Revolution

32. Revolt
With clubs, axes, slings, knives, and machetes and intense hatred that Native Americans took the Spanish military armed with guns and artillery
ended up being a bitter class struggle instead of a political struggle

33. Father of the Mexican Independence
Criollos withdrew support because of the level of violence
Hidalgo regretted the violence and said he did not know it was going to get so bad
Hidalgo was captured and executed by Spanish Military

34. Execution

35. King Ferdinand VII
King Ferdinand VII was put back on the thrown and he thought everyone in Mexico was a traitor of Spain
Sent Military to “put down the Revolution”
Showed Criollos that Spain could not be trusted