Brief Outline of Mexican History

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Brief Outline of Mexican History
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European Conquest

• Pre-Columbian civilizations include the Olmec,
  Teotuhuacan, Mayan, Zapotec, Toltec, Aztec
• 1519 Conquest of Mexico by Cortes
• Aztec Emperor Moctezuma
• Prophecies of Quetzlcoatl
• La Malinche -- mestizaje
• 1521-1810 New Spain included Central America,
  southwestern North America, the Caribbean, the
  Phillipines

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New Spain 1521-1810

• Feudal social system
• Conservative Roman Catholicism throughout the
  Empire
• Class divisions
• Spaniards in charge of government
• Criollos (Creoles) Spanish descent born in New
  Spain major land holders
• Mestizos mixed Spanish and Indian descent
• Indians peasants, agricultural workers, often
  tied to landholdings as serfs had been in Europe

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19th Century Mexico

• 1807 Napoleon invaded Spain
• 1810 Declaration of Mexican Independence
• 1810-1821 War of Independence
• 1821 1st Empire of Mexico gt Republic
• 1836 Republic of Texas declares independence
  1845 Texas is annexed to the United States
• 1832-1855 Dominance of General Antonio Lopez de
  Santa Anna in Mexican government
• 1846-1848 War with U.S. led to annexation of
  territory that became CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM and CO
• 1855 Santa Anna overthrown

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19th Century Mexico

• 1857 new Constitution that did not mandate
  Roman Catholicism as state religion
• 1857-1861 War of Reform civil war
• 1860s military occupation by France
• 2nd Mexican Empire installation of Emperor
  Maximilian and Empress Carlota favored limited
  monarchy
• Emperor overthrown and executed by Benito
  Juarezs forces
• 1867 Restoration of Republic
• 1876-1911 Dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz

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20th Century Mexico

• 1910-1921 Mexican Revolution
• Leaders with conflicting aims included Francisco
  Madero, Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, Pascual
  Orozco, Venustiano Carranza most assassinated
  during revolution
• 1917 Mexican Constitution of 1917
• 1920 Alvaro Obregon elected President
  instituted many reforms in social
  liberalizalition, curbed the power of the Roman
  Catholic church, improved education, granted
  womens civil rights
• 1926-1929 Cristero War
• 1929 Formation of National Mexican Party (PNM) gt
  Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI)
  dominant throughout 20th c.