3 - The European Incursion, 1519–1620

Summary

A distinct Hispanized culture began to emerge, encompassing much of the Indian world on which it had initially been superimposed. Spanish rule, however, was not instantaneous after the fall of the Aztec dominion. It had to be fought for throughout the remainder of the sixteenth century, particularly in the territories northward beyond Aztec rule. The great incentive was silver, which proliferated in mining camps opened up as nuclei of settlement. The introduction of Christianity was difficult and contested. Even so, an ecclesiastical organization complemented the establishment of administrative and judicial institutions, all three binding the territory of ‘New Spain’ together. Similarly, mercantile networks linked the regions and joined New Spain to its European metropolis. A series of Hispanic foundations in the midst of areas of Indian settlement, such as Puebla, Oaxaca and Guadalajara complemented the transformation of the former Aztec capital into the centre of Hispanic power and wealth in Mexico City.