MEXICO IN THE 18TH CENTURY: SOCIOECONOMIC FACTS AND CHANGES - HISTORY - 2024

Mexico in the eighteenth century was still part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, so it was under the rule and rule of the Spanish Crown. Throughout this period the rebellions against the conquerors increased and the national independence movements began to take their first steps.

The 18th century in Mexico is characterized by the advance, albeit slow, towards modernity, but also by the instability that the country suffered.

The Stone of the Sun or Aztec Calendar was discovered in the 18th century. Source: Rafael Aparicio, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Spanish Crown underwent various changes during this time, which also had an impact on New Spain. To begin with, the Bourbons came to power, who enacted the Bourbon Reforms in the American continent.

In Mexico, which was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the reforms impacted the way of thinking and the colonial administration. The economic, social, political changes and even in the relationship with the Church began to be noticed with greater force in the middle of the 18th century.

Historical facts

The historical events that occurred in Mexico during the 18th century were characterized by being mostly of a political nature, since rebellions against the Crown and the groups that held power began to be more frequent. Some cultural events also stand out after the year 1700.

Some of the most significant political events were the elimination, by royal decree, of the encomiendas in 1720 and the application of the Bourbon Reforms during the years 1765 and 1777 thanks to José de Gálvez, who was a visitor to the Viceroyalty who was in charge of ensuring that the laws in the Spanish colonies were fully implemented.

One of the consequences of the Bourbon Reforms occurred in 1786, when New Spain was divided into municipalities. There were the municipalities of Mexico, Mérida de Yucatán, Puebla, Oxaca, Veracruz, Guanajuato, Valladolid, San Luis Potosí, Guadalajara, Zacates, Arizpe and Durango. Later, the Sinaloa quartermaster was created, which was separated from Arispe.

Finally, in 1799 the conspiracy of the machetes against the Crown occurred. It was a rebellion that was led by low-income creoles. They were only armed with 50 machetes and two pistols. It is considered as one of the movements that started the Independence of Mexico.

At the social level, Mexico suffered throughout the century from epidemics that considerably affected its population. Serious smallpox cases were present up to three times in 1762, 1780 and 1798; while typhus appeared in the years 1737 and 1763.

Culturally, in the 18th century the construction of the Basilica of Guadalupe began, the Royal Botanical Garden of Mexico was founded and the Aztec Calendar was discovered. The monolithic disk, also known by the name of Piedra del Sol, is one of the most important emblems of Mexicans.

Social changes

From the beginning of the conquest in New Spain the Spanish and Creole population predominated. The indigenous and mestizo groups did not occupy a specific place within society. The Indians, for example, were exploited by the application of measures such as encomiendas.

In the 18th century, the Creole population of colonial Mexico began to define itself as "Americans." The search for modernity in New Spain led to the Frenchification of some aspects of colonial life.

The clothing of the population began to change, especially in the more powerful classes. The soldiers also experienced a change in their uniforms. The arrival of hairdressers and tailors became more common.

The term "citizen" began to creep into colonial Mexico, which had a population of approximately four million people.

Economic, political and cultural changes

During the 18th century, great changes were also evident at the economic, political and cultural level. They lived with the idea that New Spain had entered the modern era and that its inhabitants had embraced the ideas of the Enlightenment period.

Economy

Colonial Mexico in the 18th century was characterized by an economy with constant ups and downs. It was the richest Viceroyalty among the colonies of Spain. Mining advanced, and agriculture maintained a certain importance, but there was a great disparity between the different social classes.

The indigenous people were still an exploited population. They were the groups in charge of working the land, developing livestock and carrying out mining.

Thanks to the importance that trade acquired in the American continent, farms became an important source of income. It was also decisive that during the 18th century mining areas that had been important in the past were revitalized.

New treasury districts were created, resulting in more taxes being levied across the board. For this reason, there was a great fiscal pressure that allowed filling the accounts of the Royal Treasury.

Politics

At this time there was greater concern regarding politics on the part of the population of New Spain in the 18th century. There were conflicts between the Spanish and the Creoles due to the inequality that existed at the time of occupying the most important positions of power.

The most important change, perhaps, was the division of New Spain into intendencies. This decision had a great subsequent effect, since it served as the basis for the current political division of Mexico, which is constituted by states.

Cultural

During the colonial era, the leading role of the Catholic Church was a constant. In the 18th century, the education received by the Creoles began to raise its quality. Unlike the seventeenth century, logic lost relevance.

Due to the search for modernity, philosophy came into conflict between traditional, scholastic ideas and new thoughts. In art, the neoclassical style left the baroque behind and the color white represented modernity, although the inhabitants of Mexico did not really enjoy it.

The writers of the 18th century were characterized by embracing the enlightened and classicist movements.

References

1. Alonso De Diego, M. (2005). Daily life in Mexico City in the mid-18th century. AHIG. Recovered from dialnet.unirioja.es
2. Costa, P. (2009). The revolutions of the 18th century (V): decisive political changes. Antena De Telecomunicación, 54 to 59. Recovered from coitt.es
3. Art in Mexico in the 18th century. (1951) Recovered from cdigital.dgb.uanl.mx
4. Orozco Reséndiz, A. Criollismo during the first half of the 18th century in Mexico. Recovered from web.uaemex.mx
5. Quirós Vicente, F. (2013). Aspects of the life and society of Novohispana of the XVIII century. Academic Journal of Research, (13). Recovered from eumed.net