The Zcalo Mexico City Tenochtitlan Present day Mexico

The Zócalo Mexico City

Tenochtitlan • • • Present day Mexico City The capital of the Aztec Empire founded in 1325 Built on Lake Texcoco, divided into four zones Aztec legend of the City and the coat of arms One of the largest cities in the World

Spanish Conquest • • Hernán Cortés arrives on November 8, 1519 Moctezuma II believed Cortés to be the returning god Quetzalcoatl Aided by local tribes, Cortés conquers and destroys most the city Mexico City’s Zócalo is located at the original central plaza and market of Tenochtitlan

Mexican Independence • • • Lasted from 1810 to 1821 Miguel Hidalgo, a parish priest who wanted a peasants rebellion against the wealthy land owners Mexico marks its independence on September 16, 1810 José María Morelos y Pavón takes over for Higalgo 1815 to 1821, most the fighting was done by guerrilla forces Treaty of Córdoba

Mexican/American Relations • • • Texas fights for independence Mexican American War Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Templo Mayor - - 60 m high Dominated the plaza with duel temples Tlaloc (god of water and rain, mainstay of the crop cycle), Huitzilopochtli (god of war, patron of conquests and tributes

Catedral Metropolitana Cathedral at Zócalo Oldest and largest cathedral in Latin America Baroque facade and 64 m Neoclassicalstyle towers 18 bells each Current cathedral built 1667, finished 1813

La Enseñanza Church Second oldest cathedral in Mexico City Built in late 17 th-18 th century Baroque style built by Francisco Guerrero

Palacio Nacional Hernán Cortés, built this government palace on the site of Moctezuma's palace. Palacio Nacional of today dates back to 1693. Floor was added in the 1920 s. Inside murals by Diego Rivera. "Epic of the Mexican People in their Struggle for Freedom and Independence", two thousand years of history are condensed into space of an enormous wall.

The Zócalo

The Zócalo Surroundings

Palacio Nacional

Courtyard of Palacio Nacional

Diego Rivera Murals

Murals of Palacio Nacional

Zócalo Cathedral

La Enseñanza Church

Templo Mayor

Political Significance For the Spanish - the plaza is “a manifestation of local social order, of the between citizens and the authority of the state. ” For the Indians – representation of Aztec plazas at the center of the cities

The Tiger of the South and the Centaur of the North Mexican Revolution of 1910 to overthrow Dictator Dias occupied and held Mexico City 3 times (between 19141915)

Zapatista 2001 Lead by Subcomandante Marcos More than 100, 000 people crowded the Plaza Demand Indian Rights Secure their place in Modern Mexico

Question 1 The plaza has played a significant role in Mexican politics in the past, how significant will the role be in the 21 st century?

Question 2 The religious significance of the plaza has been great since before the Spanish conquest. How important are the religious buildings to the governments and people of Mexico?

Question 3 The plaza site goes to the beginnings of the Aztec tribes’ settlement of the Mexico Valley. How important is the tie between modern Mexican history and that of the pre -Colombian natives?

Sources "Tenochtitlan. " 7 Feb. 2006 <http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tenochtitlan>. "The Mexican-American War. " 7 Feb. 2006 <http: //countrystudies. us/mexico/18. htm>. "The Spanish Conquest. " 7 Feb. 2006 <http: //countrystudies. us/mexico/6. htm> "Wars of Independence, 1810 -21. " 7 Feb. 2006 <http: //countrystudies. us/mexico/11. htm>.

Sources Low, Setha M. Cultural Meaning of the Plaza: The History of the Spanish. American Gridplan-Plaza Urban Design. In the Cultural Meaning of Urban Space. Robert Rotenburg and Gary Mcdonogh, eds. CT and London. Bergin & Garvey. 1993. 75 -83. Rebels ride into Mexico City. BBC. 11 Mar. 2001. <http: //news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/world/americas /1213778. stm>.

Sources "Emiliano Zapata. " Wikipedia. 8 Feb. 2006 <http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Emiliano_Zap ata>. "Who Was Pancho Villa? " The California Native. 8 Feb. 2006 <http: //www. calnative. com/stories/n_villa. h tm>.