Mexican Society
A social and political history of Mexico.
Social Structures of the Aztecs or Mexica
Mexican society is the product of ancient civilizations and more recent European influence. Before the Spanish Conquest, the Aztec Empire controlled much of its current territory. The Aztecs inherited customs from earlier cultures like the Toltecs and Maya. Their communities consisted of a noble class, merchants, craftsmen, farmers, laborers, and slaves. The nobility held positions as rulers, priests, warriors. Extended families joined together to form tribal groups, or calpolli. The calpolli distributed land, settled disputes, and arranged marriages via council. Within the imperial system, they paid taxes and managed local affairs. Calpolli organized into city-states, or altepetl, most powerful of which was Tenochtitlan.
Mexico as a Spanish Colony
Spanish colonization brought the Aztec Empire to a sudden and premature collapse. In 1519, Hernan Cortes used existing political tensions to work his way into Tenochtitlan with a small company of men and horses. There they captured its last king, Moctezuma II. Their stay ended violently, including the death of Moctezuma as the Spanish fled the city. The damage was done, and Spain soon asserted full control over the colony as it moved on to other American civilizations. Many Aztec nobles held onto power by swearing fealty to the Spanish Crown and adopting Christianity. Native peoples and the Spanish mixed to form the Mestizo class, now the majority population in Mexico. At the time, New Spain operated on a racial caste system. People of Spanish descent held higher status than those of mixed, African, or Amerindian ancestry. Large rural estates, or haciendas, dominated the colony and its people.
Independent Mexico
Independence brought social reforms to Mexico, but class-based differences continued. An elite upper class, the Criollos, assumed control of the haciendas. The new government struggled to break local loyalties, particularly among Amerindian villages. This fostered a system where landowners held great power, often at the expense of the peasants around them. Tensions boiled over by the early 20th century, sparking the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1920. The war ushered in an era of socialist policy and liberal reforms. The old haciendas were broken up and their lands distributed among the peasants. The Catholic Church grew less influential, and education became more widely available.
Society of Mexico in the 20th Century
The Mexican Revolution and World War II set the course for the 20th century. Modernization brought new wealth and economic growth to Mexico, but not for everyone. Economic progress could not keep up with a booming population, and class issues have persisted to the present day. Privatized industry and global trade tended to enrich the already wealthy. Struggling lower classes often faced a choice between poverty and emigration. The illegal drug trade, tied to violence and public corruption, has also destabilized Mexican society. Despite this, communities in Mexico still tend to be tightly knit, religious, and family-oriented. The majority of its population now lives in cities. Greater cultural diversity and traditional values are seen in rural areas.
References
Aguilar-Moreno, Manuel. Handbook to Life in the Aztec World. Oxford University Press. 2006.
Beezley, William. The Oxford History of Mexico. Oxford University Press. 2010.
Foster, Lynn. Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World. Oxford University Press. 2002.
Koch, Peter. The Aztecs, the Conquistadors, and the Making of Mexican Culture. McFarland & Co. 2006.
Long-Solis, Janet and Luis Alberto Vargas. Food Culture in Mexico. Greenwood Press. 2005.
Ruiz, Ramon Eduardo. Triumphs and Tragedy: A History of the Mexican People. W. W. Norton & Company. 1993.
“The World Factbook: Mexico.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 7 June 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html.
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