10 Characteristics of the History of Mexico

10 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HISTORY OF MEXICO
We explain everything about the history of Mexico and its main characteristics. We
go through the timeline and its main events.
flag of mexico
More than 4000 years of history in this brief but complete summary.
History of Mexico
The history of Mexico is, logically, the series of events that occurred in the territory
of the current Mexican nation from the appearance of the first civilizations in the
region, almost 4,000 years ago, to the processes of conquest by Spain, colonial
life, war of independence, and foundation and development of the Mexican
Republic as we know it today.
The history of the Mexican nation is particularly interesting due to its wealth of pre-
Columbian nations, which constituted a mosaic at the time, and which provide it
with a prodigious ancestral heritage, which contrasts with the society built by three
centuries of Spanish Catholic colonization.
Below, and through a complete summary of the main events in the history of this
country, we will review its main characteristics.
Characteristics of the history of Mexico
Mesoamerican civilizations
The first inhabitants of the area date back to 20,000 years BC. C. and were
nomads, hunters and gatherers, until the establishment of a sedentary agricultural
culture in Mesoamerica. Mesoamerican civilization spread throughout Central
America and consisted of a significant number of primitive cultures such as the
Olmecs, Zapotecs, Toltecs and Mixtecs.
Many of these cultures left important archaeological remains and transmitted to

each other a more or less common imaginary, in which gods such as the feathered
serpent (Quetzalcoatl) and pyramidal architectural styles predominate.
The last of these dynasties was the Mexica or Aztec, who founded their Empire
(Mexico-Tenochtitlán) on the remains of the ancient city of Tenochtitlán, one of the
largest in the region.
palenque - mesoamerica
Palenque, one of the most impressive sites of Mayan culture.
More in: Mesoamerican civilizations.
Conquest of Mexico
The conquest of the Mexica Empire by European conquistadors, led by Hernán
Cortés, took place from the beginning of the 16th century (1519-1521), through a
bloody large-scale war in which the Spanish invaders allied themselves with some
other indigenous tribes, such as the Totonacs, who had historically been
oppressed by the Aztecs, and devastated the Empire of Moctezuma Xocoyotzin.
The Aborigines identified the arrival of the settlers with events from their own
mythology and were initially friendly, generous in trade, but the conquistadors'
greed for treasure was insatiable. War was not long in coming.
The Viceroyalty of New Spain was founded on the ruined Mexica Empire, besieged
by European diseases unknown to the Aztecs.
Conquest of Mexico
More in: Conquest of Mexico.
Foundation of Mexico City

Mexico City, capital of the newly formed Viceroyalty, was literally founded on the
ruins of Tenochtitlán, and was the base for the occupation of Mexican territory,
whose agricultural and mining exploitation began promptly.
This city would grow during the colonial period and would play a central role in the
establishment of the independent republic, until becoming, today, one of the great
metropolises of the continent.
The city still contains traces of its aboriginal and colonial past, which explains its
cultural and architectural wealth, within the framework of a modern city of some 21
million inhabitants (including the metropolitan area).
Mexico City is known for its traditions, its levels of urban violence and for having
been the scene of tragedies such as the Tlatelolco Massacre or the 1985
earthquake.
More in: Mexico City.
Colonial era
pulqueria - mexico
The Mexican colonial era, like that of the rest of the Hispanic American continent,
was characterized by a feudal society, composed of racially distinct classes: white
Europeans and Creoles, Indians reduced to servitude, and black slaves brought
from Africa.
The indigenous population that managed to survive the harsh conditions of

oppression was subjected to a three-hundred-year process of evangelization and
colonization. This led to a complex syncretism that amalgamated local and
European traditions, while at the same time processes of racial miscegenation
began to occur.
Colonial Mexico was governed by a Viceroy and, like the rest of the colonies,
responded to the instructions of the peninsular metropolis, which governed from a
distance and imposed an economic model that benefited it to the detriment of the
local white elites.
More in: Colonial era of Mexico.

War of Independence
The growing economic tensions between the colonies and mainland Spain reached
their peak in the 19th century, when the ideas of the French Enlightenment and the
example of American independence inspired the colonial elites with the idea of
emancipation.
The opportune moment arrived with the deposition of the Catholic King Ferdinand
VII by Napoleon, a situation that the colonies took advantage of to declare
themselves free. In the case of Mexico this began in 1810 with the Grito de
Dolores, a call to arms made by Manuel Hidalgo from the church of Dolores in
Guanajuato.
The war continued until 1821, when the rebel generals Agustín de Iturbide and
Vicente Guerrero proclaimed the Plan of Iguala and united the insurgent factions
with the support of the clergy and the aristocracy.
independence of mexico
More on: Independence of Mexico
First Mexican Empire

A brief monarchy followed, ruled by Agustín Iturbide (Agustín I), whose territory
coincided with the Viceroyalty (except for the Captaincy General of Cuba, Santo
Domingo and the Philippines) plus the provinces of the Captaincy General of
Guatemala.
The coronation took place in 1822, after a governing council, and aspired to a
moderate monarchy through a national congress. Iturbide himself modified the flag
to adopt green, white and red in vertical stripes, adding the crowned golden eagle
on a cactus, originating from a Nahuatl legend.
Soon there were plans to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic, on the
part of Vicente Guerrero himself and Antonio López de Santa Anna. Iturbide
abdicated the crown after a coup d'état and escaped to Europe in 1823, when he
also began the dissolution of the Empire and the emancipation of the Central
American provinces. In 1824, the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican
States was proclaimed and the republican life of the nation began.
French Interventions
Independent Mexico faced several Spanish attempts to reconquer its territory
(1821-1829), as well as two French Interventions:
The first took place between 1838 and 1839, called the “Pastry War,” and pitted
Mexico and France against each other militarily over a series of commercial claims
that the latter demanded in payment. Thanks to British mediation, a peace treaty is
signed after months of armed struggle and the payment of 600,000 pesos by
Mexico.
The second occurred between 1862 and 1867, when these countries clashed
again following the decision of the Benito Juárez government to suspend payments
on foreign debt. A new invasion deposed the liberal government and established
the Second Mexican Empire (1862-1864), led by Maximilian of Austria and in
agreement with the conservative factors of the country, still dissatisfied with the
liberal measures enshrined in the Political Constitution of the Mexican Republic of
1857.
American intervention
Known in the United States as the Mexican-American War, it consisted of an
armed confrontation between both countries. It was a consequence of the
expansionist pretensions of the United States, which saw in the Texas War of
Independence an opportunity to demand payment from Mexico for the damages
caused in said conflict and thus begin a new military confrontation.
Thus the United States took from Mexico a huge portion of its northern territory:
Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and part of Colorado and Utah.
Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution followed a long period of dictatorship known as the
“Porfirato” (ruled for 31 years by Porfirio Díaz) that began in 1876.
At the beginning of the 20th century, widespread discontent took advantage of
Díaz's declaration that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term to
organize and radicalize, overthrowing the tyrant and entering a period of conflict
between the revolutionary leaders who aspired to power.
This period of political instability and armed struggle between factions would claim
the lives of major revolutionary leaders such as Emiliano Zapata (1919),
Venustiano Carranza (1920), Francisco “Pancho” Villa (1923) and Álvaro Obregón
(1928). The end of the revolutionary period is considered to be with the
proclamation of the Mexican Constitution in force in 1917.
More in: Mexican Revolution.
Modern Mexico
The modern nation of Mexico has been a republic from 1940 to the present day. It
pays tribute to its turbulent past through its national symbols, such as the National
Anthem, used since 1854 but proclaimed as such in 1943 by President Manuel
Ávila Camacho, and preserves its complex political, social and cultural tradition
through the attempt at coexistence between the surviving aboriginal peoples and
the modern Western republic.

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10 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HISTORY OF MEXICO

Many of these cultures left important archaeological remains and transmitted to

Foundation of Mexico City

More in: Mexico City.

The indigenous population that managed to survive the harsh conditions of

More in: Colonial era of Mexico.

First Mexican Empire

More in: Mexican Revolution.

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