The history of Zacatecas represents the testimony of the presence and cultural development of various ethnic groups that flourished during 1250 years in the region that today makes up one of the most important states of Mexico.
Before the discovery of America, the current state of Zacatecas, due to its geographical contrasts, belonged to two cultural regions, Aridoamérica for the most part and Mesoamerica in its southern zone.
Zacatecas history
The arid zone was populated by nomadic groups of hunters and gatherers; the guachichiles and zacatecos.
On the other hand, the central and northern region sheltered sedentary civilizations that practiced agriculture as a form of subsistence; the Chichimecas, Tepecanos and Caxcanes.
Foundation
On September 8, 1546, the founding of Zacatecas occurred by the colonizer Juan de Tolosa.
The first houses were founded shortly before, when in various explorations carried out in the southern territory, the natives showed the Spaniards shiny stones containing silver and lead, which were found in abundance in that geographical area.
From that moment on, Zacatecas joined Nueva Galicia. As it became an important source of income for the Spanish Crown thanks to its mineral wealth, in 1585 it was given the name of "Very Noble and Loyal City of Our Lady of the Zacatecas" and its coat of arms.
The wealth of Zacatecas attracted many settlers and led to the founding of the "silver aristocracy."
These factors, in addition to the establishment of the religious order of the Franciscans, made Zacatecas the second most important New Spain population, after Mexico City.
Indigenous resistance led to a great deal of fighting and attacks on Spanish settlements with the purpose of hindering control over the region.
XIX century
Zacatecas intervened in the War of Independence, represented mainly by Víctor Rosales and José María Cos.
When the independence of Mexico was consummated in 1821, Zacatecas was part of the 24 provinces into which the first Mexican Empire was divided.
Later in 1824, when the Constitutive Act of the Mexican Federation was issued, the free state of Zacatecas was created.
Its first political Constitution was sanctioned on January 17, 1825 under the government of Pedro José López Nava.
This document established the federal people's representative republic as a form of government, the division of public powers and the definition of the federal state's ties with the rest of the nation.
The federal system failed and after that, Mexico adopted the structure of a central state reforming the Constitution of 1824.
This change took power away from the federated states and a major rebellion occurred in Zacatecas.
Following the defeat of Francisco García Salinas in the Battle of Zacatecas (1835), the state lost part of its territory.
The War of the Reform lasted until 1861 and culminated in the defeat of the Conservatives.
Twentieth century
On June 23, 1914, the Taking of Zacatecas took place, a decisive battle in the history of Mexico that gave it the title of Heroic City.
With the victory of the revolutionary forces led by Francisco Villa, in addition to taking control of the city, the financial security of the revolution was guaranteed, which by 1917 already fully controlled the region.
During the rest of the 20th century, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) exercised total political dominance in the country.
References
- Flores, J. (1996). Brief History of Zacatecas. In:
- History of Zacatecas. (October 24, 2017). In: es.wikipedia.org.
- Zacatecas. (August 1, 2013). In: britannica.com.
- Zacatecas. (sf). Retrieved on October 29, 2017 from: nationsencyclopedia.com.
- Zacatecas. (sf). Retrieved on October 29, 2017 from: siglo.inafed.gob.mx.