9781422285886

Reproduction of an Aztec mural showing Cortés and La Malinche, a famous woman translator, meeting Montezuma in Tenochtitlán (ca. 1519).

had some 5 million people spread across thirty-eight city-states. All this was to change, however, with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Led by the blustering Hernán Cortés, the Spanish managed to overthrow Tenochtitlán, ruled at that time by the powerful Montezuma, in only two short years. Cortés was installed as governor, the name of Tenochtitlán was changed to Mexico City, and Spain began a period of colonial rule that would last three hundred years. Both the physical and social landscapes of Mexico began to change dras- tically around this time. The Spanish colonialists dismantled many Aztec buildings and erected churches, monasteries, and other structures in their place. They also started mining operations, sending the extracted minerals back to Europe. Missionaries arrived from Spain to begin converting the local population to the Roman Catholic faith, an influence still felt today along- side traditions rooted in indigenous cultures. Other immigrants came as well, seeking the wealth of the New World. Large plantations called haciendas were set up, run by Spaniards who employed indigenous peoples at low wages. Over time, Spanish became the common language of the country. By the dawn of the nineteenth century, both landowners who had been born in Mexico and indigenous populations began to express discontent with Spanish rule. They felt the Spanish royalty had too much power, and that they were not adequately represented in the local government. In 1810, a priest

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: MEXICO