The History Of Mexico City - La Ciudad De La Esperanza

By Author: Jesse Henson
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In the high plateaus of Central America nestles the large Valley of Mexico. Surrounded by volcanoes that tower at least 1,500 feet above the valley, rolling hills and verdant land create a beautiful scenic panorama. However, it isn't the glory of Valle de Mexico that draws millions of tourists every year; it's The City of Hope - la Ciudad de la Esperanza.

For over 20,000 years, the central plateau of the Valley of Mexico has been a place full of life, its fertile lakes drawing many different peoples to the land. It is here, and throughout other regions of Mesoamerica, that many of our staple foods were first grown by Man; corn, chilies and tomatoes are just a few examples of the agricultural products that started in this area.

By 1,000 B.C., the great Lake Texcoco that covered a large area in the southern part of the Valley was surrounded by flourishing agriculture communities. Due to flooding during rainy seasons, inhabitants grew crops on chinampas. These small artificial islands, no larger than 35 feet wide and 650 feet long, were created with layers of decomposing organic matter, dirt and mud that allowed intensive ...
... and highly productive crop cultivation. In fact, these agricultural communities were able to harvest several crops per year, thanks to the fertile composition of the islands and the constant irrigation provided by Lake Texcoco.

Although based on agriculture, these communities, villages and towns began to develop such things as ceramics, forming a basis for commerce. Trading built between neighboring villages. By 200 B.C., the villages had spread and joined, becoming less "village" and more "town". In turn, the joining of these communities brought one of the greatest theocratic societies of the time (and perhaps this time as well): Teotihuacan.

The production of tools, vases and jewelry, among others, helped create a huge cultural and commercial center; at Teotihuacan's peak, it held over 100,000 inhabitants and was the most populous society in the world. The culture spread throughout Mesoamerica, influencing several prehispanic edifications that remain today, such as the Pyramid of the Sun and the Temple of Quetzalcóatl. Teotihuacan was abandoned somewhere between 600 A.D. - 750 A.D., leaving Lake Texcoco and the surrounding area empty.

Teotihuacan faded into myth and legend, replaced - hundreds of years later - by other tribes. An Aztec chieftain, told by the war god Huitzilopochtli that their new homeland was in Lake Texcoco, brought the "chosen people" to the shores of the lake and across the water to an island in the center. In (approximately) 1325 A.D., the Aztecs built Tenochtitlan: the capital city that would soon rival, and then surpass, the influence of Teotihuacan.

For 200 years, Tenochtitlan flourished, growing to hold twice the population of Teotihuacan. The island could no longer hold the Aztecs; they were forced to expand into the lake itself and the chinampas left behind by the ancients.

Accounts of Hernandez Cortes and his Spanish army vary, but, whether the Aztecs fought or believed he was a god, 1519 spelled the end for the civilization. Smallpox devastated the Aztecs and Cortes destroyed their city. What was left became the viceroyalty of New Spain.

Years after the destruction of Tenochtitlan, in 1524, the Spanish began building the Spanish city of Mexico Tenustitlan on top of the ruins to erase all traces of what had been. Declared the governmental seat of New Spain, the city also became the capital of the viceroyship of New Spain eight years later. By 1585, it officially became cuidad de Mexico - the City of Mexico.

As the City of Mexico and its population grew, flooding became a constant problem. By the 17th century, projects had begun to drain parts of Lake Texcoco. A constant flow of trade, only partially regulated by the Spanish crown, helped Mexico City prosper. The idea of nobility, transferred from Spain, cropped up in unusual ways as noble families showed their wealth and standing by building palatial homes. Many still stand as a testament to the times, and caused Mexico City to be nicknamed "the city of palaces".

Revolt rose against the colonial government in 1810; September 15, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his parishioners declared war on the government during the night. The next day, the army marched to a major mining center, captured a granary in which the leading citizens had tried to hide and either massacred or exiled them. A year later, he faced a trial of the Inquisition and was put to death.

For almost ten years, the war for independence was fought by isolated guerrilla bands; the independence movement was collapsing. The government sent Colonel Agustin de Iturbide, General of the Mexican Army, to crush the rebels. However, though known for his zeal in fighting the rebels, Iturbide was greatly disgruntled with his lack of wealth and prominence.

When the Spanish monarch, Ferdinand VII reinstated the liberal Spanish Constitution, conservative Iturbide saw it as a threat. After an initial battle with the rebels, Iturbide switched allegiances and, in 1821, a combined force of rebels and army marched into Mexico City and declared the independence of Mexico. Iturbide became emperor of Mexico, but quickly abdicated; in 1824, Mexico became a republic with Mexico City as its capital.

For decades, Mexico City was torn with war and unrest: the Mexican-American War, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Reform War, the Mexican Revolution, the La decena tragica ("The Ten Tragic Days"). However, as the world rolled into the 20th century, Mexico City grew with it.

Today, as one walks through the bustling, modern streets of Mexico City with its millions of inhabitants, much of its history remains. It seeps through the walls of palaces built centuries ago and echoes through the great pyramids and temples. Although the city has plenty of modern tourist attractions, it is the past - the many eons of history - that calls to so many.
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