Spain: The Transition From Colonial New Spain

In 1521 Spain claim ownership of the indigenous land, the greatest Aztec city, Tenochtitlan after being was defeated that very year, ending Aztec civilisation. Spain renamed their new territory as New Spain. On behalf of the Spanish crown many ventured to find new grand territories, also seeking gold. Spain spread its control by wanting to convert the indigenous people to Christianity creating cultural genocide assuring a change in religions.
Spain instilled a social control over New Spain. To show superiority over other races they created a caste system. The caste system was a hierarchical pyramid of social power based on race, divided into four “types” people. The hierarchy began with the Peninsulares, they considered themselves the better
Spain had first opened Texas to Anglo-Americans in 1820, less than one year before Mexico achieved its independence. “The transition from colonial New Spain to independent Mexico took place during a time of worldwide social and political fragment which had reverberations in Mexico” (Meier 28). Its traditional policy forbade foreigners in its territory, but Spain was unable to persuade its own citizens to move to remote and sparsely populated Texas. Mexico was determined to take control. President Guerrero signed the Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery in Mexico in 1829, while Texans still owned them. Land in Texas was very precious. As from the lecture of “Mexico to Manifest Destiny”, American families could get 177 acres of land for just $100, but conditions were made. Those coming to live on Texan territory had to be Catholic and was a plus if the married a Mexican woman. After many had migrated into Texas for the land promised the Colonization Law was instilled in 1830 preventing more people from moving to the Land. The Mexican-American War, which lasted from 1846 to 1848, main cause was because Mexico was against the idea of “manifest destiny”. The idea of manifest destiny was the idea the God wanted the United States to spread from ocean to ocean. A border issue on the separation on Rio Grande began the feud leaving Mexico to lose one-third of its territory. The territories included what
Anglos at the top of the pyramid were immigrants to the northern frontier, they worked as minors, politicians and ranchers. The ricos were wealthy Mexicans, due to their money they owned land for ranching, agriculture and trade. Regular Mexicans were racialized for not having the same wealth as the ricos and were left to be laborers. Asian, new the land were put to work in mines, as laundries and for trade. Natives were still fighting for their land having self-determination to gain it back even though it would end up being impossible for them. At the bottom of this social caste system, there were slaves, slaves were forced to work as laborers and seen as property for the being that their skin tone was the darkest. This caste system was a clear sign of xenophobia, an intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries specially and many were taking lands. Anglos acted out when someone from another race became successful turning over to murder “... seven Mexican shepherd's hanged by white vigilantes near Corpus Christi, Tx, in late November 1873. The mob was probably trying to intimidate the shepherds employers into selling his land. None of the killers were arrested”