During Spanish colonial rule in Mexico, large estates called haciendas emerged on land seized from indigenous peoples. The Spanish landowners, or conquistadors, forced Native Americans to work on the haciendas for low wages and stripped them of most of their land. This system established social castes based on race that determined one's status. After independence, conservative elites who wanted to maintain the colonial system clashed with liberals seeking land reform and greater rights for indigenous Mexicans and mestizos. The legacy of colonial land seizures and inequality continued to shape conflicts over land and political power in independent Mexico.

1. Mexican History and
Systems of Empire

2. Word of the Day: Hacienda
 A Hacienda is a large estate owned by a Spanish Owner.
These lands arose with the seizure of Native land by
Spanish Conquistadors
 Goal: Take what was left of Indian lands and put it in the
hands of Spanish landowners.
 Indians were paid very small wages to work on the
Hacienda – which was always owned by a Spaniard.

3. The Problem for Indians
 Spanish landowners bought or stole almost all
the land in Mexico (link to today)
 Indians were rounded up into small areas so they
could be “Christianized.” But the real motive
was often to take their land.
 Indians that needed money (wedding, funeral,
bad crop, etc.) borrowed from Spanish
landowners…but now were in debt for the rest
of their lives….Trapped.

4. Word of the Day #2:
La Casta
 A System of racial identification that created a class
structure within Mexico. Your skin color upon birth
determined which caste you belonged to. This could not
change.

5. Las Castas
 Peninsular: (Blancos) European Born Spaniards Living
in Mexico.
 Creole: Mexican-Born Spaniards who were considered
white.
 Mestizos: Mixed blood European-Mexicans.
 Indios: Decedents of the Native populations of Mexico.
 Negros: African Slaves (10%) and their decedents.

6. El Grito de Dolores
 “The Cry of Dolores”: September 16, 1810
 Father Miguel Hidalgo, a creole priest, called for
Independence.
 EL Grito de Dolores

7. Discussion Questions
 What was the largest challenge facing non European
Mexicans during colonialism?
 What lasting impact have these problems had on Mexico?
 Can the current problems in Mexico be tied to the
systems of empire? Why or why not? Explain your
thinking.

8. The Spanish Empire

9. Conservative
Conservative
 Someone who wants the political, social & economic
systems of their country to either A) remain the way they
are OR B) return to how they were at an earlier time.
 In Mexico in the 19th century (1800s), conservatives were
mainly wealthy landowners, Creoles, who wanted a
political system that would preserve their wealth &
privilege.
 Conservatives generally did NOT want to share land in
Mexico with mestizo or indigenous Mexicans.

10. Liberal
 Someone who wants the political, social & economic
systems of their country to change.
 In Mexico in the 19th century (1800s), liberals were
mainly educated, middle class professionals like teachers,
& lawyers who lived in cities or urban areas.
 Liberals generally wanted to distribute the ownership of
land more broadly & to change the political & economic
systems of Mexico to give every Mexican more political
rights & power rather than the systems being dominated
by an elite few.

11. Conservative and Liberal
Antonio Lopez Santa Ana Bentio Juarez

12. After Independence
 Iturbide becomes Dictator and signs the Plan of Iguala
 Roman Catholic Church as the State Religion
 Creoles get the same rights as Spaniards
 Constitutional Monarchy with a European Ruler
 Iturbide Assassinated
 Revolving Door of Governments: 50 different
governments in 30 years.

13. The War of
North American Intervention
 Santa Ana was President of 11 different Governments
 Kept Central Government Weak and Taxes Low
 United States saw opportunity and expanded into
Mexico’s Territory North of the Rio Grande (Arizona,
Texas, New Mexico)

14. Loss of Land and Pride

15. Rise of the Liberals:
Juarez as President
 Benito Juarez: Mestizo Lawyer who rose to power from
nothing.
 Wrote the Constitution of 1857
 Limited the Power of the Catholic Church
 Other Notable Decisions
 Reorganized the Education System
 Broke up Tribal Lands into Individually Owned Lands
Didn’t Work because Rich landowners bought them instead.
 Died in 1872 of a heart attack

16. Diaz’s Rule
 Porfirio Diaz was elected President following Juarez’s
death and stayed in power for over 30 years. During his
rule…
 The Rich continued to buy land…
 30 families owned half of Mexico by 1900  More Poverty
 Mexico engaged in foreign trade  More Foreigners
 Oil and Coal were discovered  Controlled by Foreigners