QUERÉTARO HISTORY: MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS - HISTORY - 2025

The history of Querétaro dates back to 400 BC. C., when small agricultural groups settled in San Juan del Río and Huimilpan. These were expanding thanks to having created a productive territory by exploiting its soils and mineral resources.

Due to its condition of border between Mesoamerica and Aridoamérica, the Querétaro territory is heterogeneous in the social and cultural.

Los Arcos Monument, Querétaro

It is Mesoamerican during the Classic period, in which it was inhabited by Teotihuacanos, Otomíes, Purépechas and Chichimecas.

In the Postclassic period, it acquired Arido-American influences by accommodating the Chichimeca peoples from the north, such as the Pames and the Jonaces.

You may also be interested in the typical traditions of Querétaro or its culture.

Prehispanic period

The fall of Teotihuacán

Faced with the expansion of the communities settled in the Queretaro territory, the Teotihuacan Empire and the enormous exchange network that sustained its economy was formed.

The rapidly growing city experienced the deterioration of its environment due to the overexploitation of its mineral resources and deforestation that caused the erosion of its soils.

A prolonged drought then occurred that affected the entire Neovolcanic axis.

In addition to the economic problems unleashed and the discontent with the rulers, in charge of promoting the rain and the fertility of the earth, the fall of the Empire occurred.

Much of the city was taken by an internal revolt that set it afire, looted and closed its supply routes.

The abandonment of the region

After the year 900 d. C. the region suffered a period of migratory movements that began in conjunction with the inhabitants of the northern strip of Mesoamerica.

These migrations lasted more than 300 years and ended up unleashing a great tension that caused the total abandonment of the territory.

The stabilization of the Queretaro area

The Queretaro area manages to stabilize from the 12th century, after Tula lost its hegemony and the last migration of the peoples of the region to central Mexico took place.

The settled groups that shared territory were the hunter-gatherers and the agricultural villages, mainly represented by the Otomi, Purépecha and Chichimecas.

In the 15th century, as a result of the struggle between the Mexica and Tarascan empires, the region became an intermediate zone in which the civilizations that lived in both states shared elements.

The conquest

In 1531 the founding of Querétaro occurred. Upon the arrival of the Spanish, under the command of Hernán Pérez Bocanegra y Córdoba, an alliance was formed with the Otomí Conín, chief of Jilotepec, for the peaceful conquest of the surrounding territories.

Of the civilizations settled in the area, only the Chichimeca peoples (Pames and Jonaces) resisted the occupation. The others accepted the Spanish government and the Catholic faith.

The viceregal era

The Queretaro region was an obligatory passage and connection between the mines of Guanajuato, San Luis and Zacatecas with the Mexican capital; hence its strategic importance.

This justifies the large number of existing historical monuments in the city center as a result of the many armed expeditions and Catholic conversions that were sent there.

In 1655 the town of Querétaro was granted the title of city of Santiago de Querétaro. Then, in 1712 it was confirmed that of "Very noble and very loyal city of Querétaro" by King Felipe V of Spain.

In 1726 the construction of the Aqueduct began, the largest civil engineering work in the state.

From then on, the construction of a series of infrastructures began that made the city the third most important in the kingdom, after Mexico and Puebla.

The independence

Querétaro is the cradle of Mexican independence. This important qualifier is attributed to it on the occasion of the events that occurred in September 1810.

There the insurgent Epigmenio González was captured, and later that of the mayor of Querétaro, Miguel Domínguez, and his wife Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez.

The story goes that it was a message sent by the captive lady of Captain Allende to Hidalgo that caused the initiation of the Mexican War of Independence.

References

1. History of the State of Querétaro. (2016, April 11). In: es.wikipedia.org
2. Queretaro. (November 21, 2012). In: britannica.com
3. Queretaro. (sf). Retrieved on November 14, 2017 from: nationsencyclopedia.com
4. Queretaro. (sf). Retrieved on November 14, 2017 from: siglo.inafed.gob.mx
5. Queretaro. (sf). Retrieved on November 14, 2017 from: theodora.com