Transcript 10.2 History and Culture

10.2 History and Culture
Pg. 224
Early Mexico
Early people belonged to many
cultures and each had their own
language.
 Most were hunter-gatherers.
 Main crops were beans, corn,
peppers, and squash.
 Grew them together in the same
fields, called milpa.

Continued
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Indian civilizations included: Maya,
Olmec, Toltec, and Zapotec. Very
complex and accomplished.
The last was the Aztec. Aztec built an
empire in what is now central and
southern Mexico.
Capital City, Tenochtitlan, occupied an
island in a lake (near Mexico City)
The Colonial Period
1519 a band of Spanish adventurers
landed on the eastern coast of
Mexico.
 Called Conquistadors or Conquerors.
 Formed alliances with tribes who
didn’t like the Aztec.
 Small pox arrived with the Spanish.

Continued
American Indians had no resistance
to it. Killed many, and weakened
the Aztec’s.
 Spaniards captured the Aztec
capital.
 Spanish called the area New Spain.
 Built Mexico City on Tenochtitlan.

Tenochtitlan
Continued
Desire for Gold and Silver had been
a major motive for the Spanish.
 Spanish organized the land into
haciendas – large estates usually
owned by wealthy families by
worked by peasants (Indians).
 Roman Catholic Priests tried to
convert AI to Christianity.
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Mexican Hacienda
Mexico since Independence

Rapid, sometimes violent political
change.
Independence and
Revolution
1810 Mexicans began to revolt
against Spanish rule.
 1821 won independence.
 A few powerful families still
controlled the economy and the
government.
 1848 Mexico lost its northern
territory to the U.S.
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Continued
Most Mexicans remained poor.
 Led to the Mexican Revolution,
which lasted from 1910 to 1920.
 President ruled like a dictator and
held most of the power.
 Many foreign owned companies were
forced out.

Continued
Result of the revolution – land
reform. Large haciendas were
broken up and given to peasant
villages.
 New land system was not very
successful.
 In 1992 the farmers were allowed to
sell their land.

Modern Mexico
Since 1990 Mexico had again
opened its economy to foreign
business.
 Increasingly urban.
 ¾ of Mexicans now live in towns and
cities.
 In 1992 the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico signed NAFTA.

Continued
NAFTA – lowered trade barriers
between the three countries.
 Manufacturing in Mexico had
expanded.
 Tourism has become increasingly
important.
 Acapulco, Cancun and Mazatlan.
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