The history of Tamaulipas stands out for the population in its geographic region of different tribes, such as the Olmecas, Chichimecas, and the Huastecas.
In the mid-15th century, the Aztecs commanded by Emperor Moctezuma Ilhuicamina conquered a large part of this population, making it part of the Mexican empire.
Tamaulipas is a Mexican state located in the northeast of the country in the middle of a mountainous region. The etymological meaning of its name is "place where much is prayed".
Tamaulipas is an area that borders to the north with the State of Texas in the United States, its lands were inhabited by humans for at least eight millennia before Christ.
The economy of Tamaulipas at that time was based mainly on agriculture, although they were also skilled craftsmen.
Over the years, due to geographical conditions, various indigenous groups began to arrive in the area, distancing the original natives.
By the time the Spaniards arrived in the Tamaulipas territory, indigenous people of various cultures had gathered, and Américo Vespucio, the Italian cartographer, was one of the first to visit the area and later to write about it.
First Spanish settlement
The first Spanish settlement took place in the Tampico area in the year 1554, Franciscan missionaries colonized a large portion of the territory, taking over the cattle business, and promoting new tasks such as sheep farming.
Numerous indigenous uprisings produced instability in the area for decades, however the Spanish maintained control of it until the arrival of the Mexican War of Independence.
After the War of Independence
Once the Spanish empire in Mexico was defeated, Tamaulipas became one of the 19 founding states of the United Mexican States.
This condition varied over the years due to the struggles between centralists and federalists, which in 1836 led to the creation of the Republic of Texas (nowadays North American territory).
In 1840 Tamaulipas decided to adhere to the Republic of the Rio Grande, in an attempt to form a country together with the States of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and part of what is today Texas.
However, this attempt at a Republic would not last even a year due to the great tensions and wars in the area.
After the successive wars that occurred in the region, Tamaulipas lost approximately a quarter of its territory due to the Hidalgo-Guadalupe treaty.
In this treaty, the United States of America seizes almost half of the Mexican territory, including areas today called Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, among others.
After the war with the United States of America the situation did not improve. With a weakened army, the natives of Tamaulipas had to face the French occupation agreed in 1861.
Arrival of Maximilian I
This occupation would trigger the coming to power of Maximilian I, Archduke of Austria, who was proposed by Napoleon himself and reigned in Mexico until his subsequent execution in 1867.
Since then Tamaulipas has been part of the Mexican State, today it is a great port of international trade and there is still a great production of cattle.