79-551: La Ventana is a small fishing village on the shore of La Ventana Bay south of La Paz on the eastern side of the Baja California peninsula in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur . The village was founded in the early 1940s by the La Paz pearl diver Salome Leon. When pearl diving became unprofitable, Salome brought his family over the mountains from La Paz to La Ventana Bay to found
158-452: A temāzcalli , similar to a sauna bath, which is still used in the south of Mexico. This was also popular in other Mesoamerican cultures. When we saw so many cities and villages built in the water and other great towns on dry land we were amazed and said that it was like the enchantments (...) on account of the great towers and cues and buildings rising from the water, and all built of masonry. And some of our soldiers even asked whether
237-466: A 2020 census population of 250,141 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the state. Its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns, such as El Centenario (pop. 6,068), Chametla (pop. 1,731 as of 2010) and San Pedro. Its surrounding municipality , which is the fourth-largest municipality in Mexico in geographical size, reported a population of 290,286 inhabitants. La Paz
316-816: A blood bank, a mental health division, health centers and other units. The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) provides a family clinic and an ambulatory medical unit in which ambulatory surgeries are performed. There is also a new ISSSTE hospital, the Naval Sanatorium, and the Secretariat of National Defense hospital, which offers external consultation services, hospitalization and medical specialists. Reflecting high national rates, there are similarly high local rates of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, and renal insufficiency, as well as of automobile accidents resulting in injury, despite public health dissemination programs and driver education programs. According to
395-492: A large force of infantry and cavalry to march on the province of New Galicia (Nueva Galicia) , of which Guzmán was governor. The viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza , warned Cortés on 4 September 1534, "not to confront he who had requisitioned his ships", a warning which Hernán Cortés ignored, claiming that he had been designated to conquer and discover new territories, and that he had spent more than 100 thousand gold ducats of his own fortune. The feared confrontation between
474-460: A large sidewalk which offers safety for large numbers of people to walk along the coastal front of La Paz. In September 2011, a bicycle lane was added to Malecon Road, providing cyclists protection from cars and pedestrians. La Paz is served mainly by two highways; Mexican Federal Highway 1 that links the south of the state from Cabo San Lucas to the north of the peninsula to Tijuana , and Mexican Federal Highway 19 , that connects La Paz with
553-418: A load of fifty bushels of corn, returned. This was insufficient to feed the population, so Cortés left to personally secure food, but was unable to procure enough, so he decided to return to New Spain with the intention of supplying the new colony from there. Francisco de Ulloa was in command of the town of La Paz, but complaints by relatives of those who had stayed on the peninsula caused the viceroy to order
632-608: A pearl-fishing expedition on the western shore of the Gulf of California. He sailed on to La Paz after attempts to pacify the area were rebuffed. The first permanent settlement in Baja California was not formed until 1695 further north in Loreto . La Ventana (English "The Window") is named for the 'window' to the Gulf of California between nearby Isla Cerralvo and Punta Arena, which contrasted with
711-441: A population of 212,500 living on 13.5 km (5.2 sq mi). It is also said that at one time, Moctezuma had rule over an empire of almost five million people in central and southern Mexico because he had extended his rule to surrounding territories to gain tribute and prisoners to sacrifice to the gods. When Cortés and his men invaded Tenochtitlan , Moctezuma II chose to welcome Cortés as an ambassador rather than risk
790-659: A reported 292,241 inhabitants), covering an area of 20,275 km (7,828 sq mi). For air travelers, La Paz is served by Manuel Márquez de León International Airport , with connecting flights to some of Mexico's main cities ( Guadalajara , Mexico City , Monterrey , Tijuana ), as well as other destinations across the north-northwest of the country (including Chihuahua City , Ciudad Juárez , Ciudad Obregón , Culiacán , Hermosillo , Mazatlán and Querétaro , among others). Seasonal services to American Airlines hubs Dallas , Texas , and Phoenix , Arizona , are also provided. Additionally, two ferry services operate from
869-518: A short, slightly rainier season that peaks in August and September, following the pattern of the North American Monsoon . The driest season, where it is common to have no rain, occurs March through June. La Paz averages over 300 days of sunshine annually and an average of 3148 sunshine hours. During the summer the cooling Coromuel winds, a weather phenomenon unique to the La Paz area, blow during
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#1732859014530948-529: A trace on a similar voyage the previous year. By 20 December the ships had separated; San Lázaro , which had gone ahead, waited three days for Concepción and after no sighting of its companion vessel, Capt. Grijalva dedicated himself to exploring the region and discovered the Revillagigedo Islands . On board the Concepción , Ximénez, the navigator and second in command, led a revolt in which Capt. Becerra
1027-511: A war which might quickly be joined by aggrieved indigenous people. As Cortés approached Tenochtitlan , the Tenochcah celebrated Toxcatl . At this event the most prominent warriors of each altepetl would dance in front of a huge statue of Huitzilopochtli . The Spanish leader, Pedro de Alvarado , who was left in charge, worried that the natives planned a surprise attack. He captured three natives and tortured them until they said that this
1106-612: Is 4 meters (13 ft 1 in) in diameter and weighs over 18.1 metric tons (20 short tons; 17.9 long tons). It was once located half-way up the great pyramid. This sculpture was carved around 1470 under the rule of King Axayacatl , the predecessor of Tizoc , and is said to tell the history of the Mexicas and to prophesy the future. In August 1987, archaeologists discovered a mix of 1,789 human bones five meters (16 ft 5 in) below street level in Mexico City. The burial dates back to
1185-526: Is frequently used as a spice, and damiana , an ingredient in a traditional liqueur , is widely regarded as an aphrodisiac and brewed as a tea. Regional cuisine also includes traditional dishes such as machaca , made from beef that has been well-cooked, shredded, and then cooked in its own juices, fresh cheeses and the typical flour tortillas. Abundantly available clams are prepared in various ways such as pickling, breading and frying, or stuffing. Shrimp are plentiful also, and eaten grilled, fried, or baked as in
1264-472: Is served by Manuel Márquez de León International Airport with flights to Mexico's 3 largest cities and the main cities of northwest Mexico on Aeroméxico Connect , Volaris , VivaAerobus , Calafia and TAR airlines; and American Airlines seasonal service to its hubs in Dallas and Phoenix . Two ferry services operate from the port of Pichilingue outside the city, connecting the Baja California peninsula to
1343-453: Is the headquarters of several higher education centers, the main ones being: La Paz has several medical centers; the Secretariat of Health operates the Juan María de Salvatierra general hospital, which has medical specialists and an exclusive area for pediatric oncology, as well as a unit that provides medical care under the national health insurance program, as well as a hemodialysis unit,
1422-521: Is the state capital and center of commerce, as well as the home of the three leading marine biology institutes in Latin America ( UABCS , CIBNOR & CICIMAR), largely because it sits on the Gulf of California, which is home to exceptional marine biodiversity. It also supports several other university-level institutes of learning, such as the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur . La Paz
1501-643: The pochteca were merchants who traveled all of Mesoamerica trading. The membership of this class was based on heredity. Pochteca could become very rich because they did not pay taxes, but they had to sponsor the ritual feast of Xocotl Huetzi from the wealth that they obtained from their trade expeditions. Status was displayed by the location and type of house where a person lived. Ordinary people lived in houses made of reeds plastered with mud and roofed with thatch. People who were better off had houses of adobe brick with flat roofs. The wealthy had houses of stone masonry with flat roofs. They most likely made up
1580-459: The traza . Although many native residents died during the siege of Tenochtitlan, the indigenous still had a strong presence in the city, and were settled in two main areas of the island, designated San Juan Tenochtitlan and Santiago Tlatelolco, each with a municipal council that functioned the entire colonial period. San Juan Tenochtitlan was a Spanish administrative creation, which amalgamated four indigenous sections, with each losing territory to
1659-511: The tzompantli or rack of skulls; the Sun Temple, which was dedicated to Tonatiuh ; the Eagle's House, which was associated with warriors and the ancient power of rulers; the platforms for the gladiatorial sacrifice; and some minor temples. Outside was the palace of Moctezuma with 100 rooms, each with its own bath, for the lords and ambassadors of allies and conquered people. Also located nearby
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#17328590145301738-578: The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico . John Steinbeck visited La Paz in 1940. He describes the town in his 1947 novel The Pearl and mentions it extensively in his 1951 travelogue The Log from the Sea of Cortez . The city is also the setting of the 1967 Scott O'Dell children's novel The Black Pearl , chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1968; La Paz is the home of the main character. Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan , also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan ,
1817-500: The Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez ), and the states of California , Baja California and Baja California Sur , bear the name today. From 10 January 1854, to 8 May 1854, La Paz served as the capital of William Walker's Republic of Sonora . The project collapsed due to lack of US support and pressure from the Mexican government to retake the region. La Paz is located on
1896-525: The Baja California Sur State Development Plan 2005-2011, during 2006 there were 24 deaths due to cervical cancer in the state. The health sector seeks to reduce cervical cancer mortality by providing timely treatment to women aged 25 to 64 years, and improving the efficiency of diagnostic laboratories and the monitoring of patients. As of 1 March 2021, the municipality reported 11,558 recoveries, 577 active cases, and 436 deaths from
1975-462: The Baja California peninsula on the Bay of La Paz, 210 kilometres (130 mi) south of Ciudad Constitución , municipality of Comondú, and 202 kilometres (126 mi) north of Cabo San Lucas , municipality of Los Cabos. It is located 81 kilometres (50 mi) north of the town of Todos Santos . Its geographical coordinates are 24°08′32″ N and parallel 110°18′39″W, it has an altitude of 0 to 27 meters above
2054-489: The Mexica capital. Tenochtitlan was one of two Mexica āltepētl ( city-states or polities ) on the island, the other being Tlatelolco . Traditionally, the name Tenochtitlan was thought to come from Nahuatl tetl [ˈtetɬ] ("rock") and nōchtli [ˈnoːtʃtɬi] (" prickly pear ") and is often thought to mean, "Among the prickly pears [growing among] rocks." However, one attestation in
2133-581: The Spaniards were seeking gold, Moctezuma expressed that he had very little of the sort, but all of it was to be given to Cortés if he desired it. Soon after arriving in Tenochtitlan , Cortés came up against problems. At Vera Cruz , the officer left in charge received a letter from Qualpopoca , the leader of Nueva Almería , asking to become a vassal of the Spaniards. He requested that officials be sent to him so that he could confirm his submission. To reach
2212-486: The Spanish traza . The Spanish laid out the streets of the traza in a checker board pattern, with straight streets and plazas at intervals, whereas the indigenous portions of the city were irregular in layout and built of modest materials. In the colonial period both San Juan Tenochtitlan and Santiago Tlatelolco retained jurisdiction over settlements on the mainland that they could draw on for labor and tribute demanded by
2291-455: The Spanish capital of Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Despite the extensive damage to the built environment, the site retained symbolic power and legitimacy as the capital of the Aztec empire, which Cortés sought to appropriate. For a time this ciudad de españoles , the highest rank in the Spanish hierarchy of settlement designation, was called Mexico–Tenochtitlan. Charles Gibson devotes
2370-556: The Spanish, but increasingly those subordinate settlements ( sujetos ) were able to gain their autonomy with their own rulers and separate relationship with the Spanish rulers. Concern about the health of the indigenous population in early post-conquest Mexico–Tenochtitlan led to the founding of a royal hospital for indigenous residents. There are a number of colonial-era pictorial manuscripts dealing with Tenochtitlan–Tlatelolco, which shed light on litigation between Spaniards and indigenous over property. An account with information about
2449-628: The animals. There was also a botanical garden and an aquarium . The aquarium had ten ponds of salt water and ten ponds of fresh water, containing various fish and aquatic birds. Places like this also existed in Texcoco , Chapultepec , Huaxtepec (now called Oaxtepec ), and Texcotzingo . Tenochtitlan can be considered the most complex society in Mesoamerica in regard to social stratification. The complex system involved many social classes . The macehualtin were commoners who lived outside
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2528-543: The armies of Cortés and Nuño de Guzmán did not occur. In Chametla, ( Sinaloa ), after crossing the present-day states of Jalisco and Nayarit , territory then known as part of New Galicia, Cortés and his entourage embarked the ships Santa Águeda and San Lázaro with 113 crewmen and 40 cavalrymen with their horses and gear, leaving 60 riders on land, as reported to the Real Audiencia and Governor Nuño de Guzmán. Cortés then sailed northwest, and on 3 May 1535 arrived at
2607-453: The bay he named Bahia de la Santa Cruz (Bay of Santa Cruz), currently the port of La Paz, where he confirmed the death of his subordinate, Fortún Ximénez, at the hands of the natives. Once Cortés had taken possession of the bay, he decided to establish a colony and summoned the soldiers and arms he had left in Sinaloa. The transport ships were lost in a storm, however, and only one ship, carrying
2686-617: The city were woodcuts published in Augsburg around 1522. Each calpulli had its own tiyanquiztli (marketplace), but there was also a main marketplace in Tlatelolco – Tenochtitlan 's sister city. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés estimated it was twice the size of the city of Salamanca with about 60,000 people trading daily. Bernardino de Sahagún provides a more conservative population estimate of 20,000 on ordinary days and 40,000 on feast days. There were also specialized markets in
2765-600: The city's balnearios . There are some 900 islands and inlets in the Gulf of California with 244 now under UNESCO protection as World Heritage Bio-Reserves and the Isla Espíritu Santo group, which borders the northeast portion of the Bay of La Paz, the primary tourist destination of the area. Industries include silver mining , agriculture , fishing and pearls . Tourism is also an important source of employment for this coastal community. The now defunct airline Aero California had its headquarters in La Paz. La Paz
2844-476: The city. The city was interlaced with a series of canals , so that all sections of the city could be visited either on foot or via canoe . Lake Texcoco was the largest of five interconnected lakes. Since it formed in an endorheic basin , Lake Texcoco was brackish . During the reign of Moctezuma I , the " levee of Nezahualcoyotl " was constructed, reputedly designed by Nezahualcoyotl . Estimated to be 12 to 16 km (7.5 to 9.9 mi) in length,
2923-480: The city; and began its rebuilding, despite opposition. The reconstruction involved the creation of a central area designated for Spanish use (the traza ). The outer Indian section, now dubbed San Juan Tenochtitlan , continued to be governed by the previous indigenous elite and was divided into the same subdivisions as before. The people of Tenochtitlan were soon exposed to diseases to which they had no immunity. Symptoms were often delayed for up to ten days, when
3002-604: The closed-in La Paz Bay from which the first inhabitants relocated. La Paz, Baja California Sur La Paz ( pronounced [la ˈpas] , English: "peace" ) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur , with a 2020 census population of 250,141 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the state. La Paz City is located in La Paz Municipality —the fourth-largest municipality in Mexico , by area and populace (with
3081-406: The coldest with temperatures dropping below 15 °C (59 °F) at night, but cold mostly are from 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F). Breezes from Bahía de La Paz moderate the temperature. The bay also acts as a barrier against seasonal storms in the Gulf of California. Rainfall is minimal at most times of year, although erratic downpours can bring heavy rains. Rain tends to be concentrated in
3160-475: The early 20th century, but major excavations did not take place until 1978–1982, after utility workers came across a massive stone disc depicting the nude dismembered body of the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui . The disc is 3.25 meters (10 ft 8 in) in diameter, and is held at the Templo Mayor Museum. The ruins, constructed over seven periods, were built on top of each other. The resulting weight of
3239-515: The fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, and consequently brought an end to the Aztec empire Tenochtitlan's main temple complex, the Templo Mayor , was dismantled and the central district of the Spanish colonial city was constructed on top of it. The great temple was destroyed by the Spanish during the construction of a cathedral. The location of the Templo Mayor was rediscovered in
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3318-402: The final chapter of his classic work, The Aztecs Under Spanish Rule , to what he called "The City", with later historians building on his work. The Spaniards established a cabildo or town council, which had jurisdiction over the Spanish residents. The Spanish established a Europeans-only zone in the center of the city, an area of 13 blocks in each direction of the central plaza, which was
3397-467: The grandest ever in Mesoamerica. Hernan Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan on 8 November 1519. Although there are not precise numbers, the city's population has been estimated at between 200,000 and 400,000 inhabitants, placing Tenochtitlan among the largest cities in the world at that time. Compared to the cities of Europe, only Paris , Venice and Constantinople might have rivaled it. It was five times
3476-550: The house complexes that were arranged around the inner court. The higher officials in Tenochtitlan lived in the great palace complexes that made up the city. Adding even more complexity to Aztec social stratification was the calpōlli . Calpōlli is a group of families related by either kinship or proximity. These groups consist of both elite members of Aztec society and commoners. Elites provided commoners with arable land and nonagricultural occupations, and commoners performed services for chiefs and gave tribute. Tenochtitlan
3555-409: The infection would spread throughout the body, causing sores, pain, and high fever. People were weak to the point that they could not move, nor obtain food and water. Burial of the dead became difficult to impossible, due to the pervasiveness of the people's illness. The people of Tenochtitlan began to starve and weaken. The death toll rose steadily over the course of the next 60 days. Cortés founded
3634-451: The island city of Tenochtitlan. The pipiltin were noblemen who were relatives of leaders and former leaders, and lived in the confines of the island. Cuauhipiltin , or eagle nobles, were commoners who impressed the nobles with their martial prowess, and were treated as nobles. Teteuctin were the highest class, rulers of various parts of the empire, including the king. Tlacohtin were slaves or indentured servants . Finally,
3713-562: The late 16th-century manuscript known as "the Bancroft dialogues" suggest the second vowel was short, so that the true etymology remains uncertain. However, it is also thought that the city was named after Tenoch . Tenochtitlan covered an estimated 8 to 13.5 km (3.1 to 5.2 sq mi), situated on the western side of the shallow Lake Texcoco . At the time of Spanish conquests, Mexico City comprised both Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco . The city extended from north to south, from
3792-444: The levee was completed c. 1453 . The levee kept fresh spring -fed water in the waters around Tenochtitlan and kept the brackish waters beyond the dike, to the east. Two double aqueducts , each more than 4 km (2.5 mi) long and made of terracotta , provided the city with fresh water from the springs at Chapultepec . This was intended mainly for cleaning and washing. For drinking, water from mountain springs
3871-443: The mainland at Mazatlán and Topolobampo , near Los Mochis . Running along the coast in front of La Paz is 5 km (3.1 mi) long Malecon Road. The main purpose of this road is to allow easy movement across the city. However, it quickly became the focal point of tourist related activities with a large number of bars, restaurants and shops opening along its length. Since 2004 extensive development has taken place which included
3950-575: The night from the Pacific over the Peninsula and into the Bay of La Paz. As with most of the Gulf of California, the temperature of the water changes substantially over the course of the year, with temperatures around 68 °F (20 °C) during winter and around 85 °F (29 °C) during summer. The population of La Paz has grown greatly since the 2000s. Eco-tourism is by far the most important source of tourism income in La Paz. Tourists also visit
4029-455: The north border of Tlatelolco to the swamps , which by that time were gradually disappearing to the west; the city ended more or less at the present location of Avenida Bucareli . The city was connected to the mainland by bridges and causeways leading to the north, south, and west. The causeways were interrupted by bridges that allowed canoes and other water traffic to pass freely. The bridges could be pulled away, if necessary, to protect
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#17328590145304108-499: The other central Mexican cities. In the center of the city were the public buildings, temples, and palaces. Inside a walled square, 500 meters (1,600 ft) to a side, was the ceremonial center. There were about 45 public buildings, including: the Templo Mayor , which was dedicated to the Aztec patron deity Huitzilopochtli and the Rain God Tlaloc ; the temple of Quetzalcoatl ; the tlachtli ( ball game court) with
4187-455: The people and rape the women. The abuse of the Indian women by the crew and their looting caused a violent confrontation with the natives that ended in the deaths of Ximénez and some of his companions; the survivors withdrew, and sailed erratically for several days until they reached the shores of the present-day Jalisco , where they encountered a subaltern of Nuño de Guzmán , who requisitioned
4266-548: The population of the south pacific towns such as Todos Santos and El Pescadero . It is also served by two secondary roads, the Los Planes highway (286) that connects La Paz with towns such as La Ventana , Ensenada de los Muertos and Los Planes. The other is the Pichilingue highway which links La Paz with its maritime port. Local specialties are characterized by seafood dishes, especially of lobster, sole, clams and shrimp. Oregano
4345-433: The population to abandon the colony and return to New Spain. Following the failure of Cortés' third expedition to establish a colony in the newly discovered lands that belonged to him by royal decree , an enemy of Cortés, whom a writer of the time cites as Alarcón, applied the name "California," drawn from a contemporary novel , to the abandoned territory, perhaps in order to insult Cortés. The Baja California peninsula ,
4424-644: The port of Pichilingue , outside the city, connecting the Baja California Peninsula to the eastern mainland at Mazatlán and Topolobampo , Sinaloa (near Los Mochis ). Beginning in November 2024, Alaska Airlines will begin offering twice- to thrice-weekly direct flights between La Paz and Los Angeles, California , with daily flights to Monterrey , Nuevo León , scheduled to begin in February 2025. The first European known to have landed in Baja California
4503-399: The province, the officers would have to travel through hostile land. The officer in charge of Vera Cruz decided to send four officers to meet with Qualpopoca. When they arrived, they were captured and two were killed, the other two escaping through the woods. Upon their return to Vera Cruz, the officer in charge was infuriated, and led troops to storm Almería. Here they learned that Moctezuma
4582-453: The regional specialty, filete imperial de camarones . Other popular seafood dishes include callo garra de león , made with scallops, fish tatemado , and ceviche . Regional sweets are represented by fruits such as guava, mango and pitaya , green papaya and fig in syrup, as well as dehydrated regional fruits such as white fig and mango. Cheese empanadas ( empanadas de queso ) and empanadas made with sweet beans are also popular. The city had
4661-506: The sea level. It is one of the three state capitals of Mexico that are on the coast of the sea. La Paz has a subtropical desert climate ( BWh ). The climate of La Paz is relatively consistent with generally little rainfall, with a year around average temperature of between 17 and 30 °C (63 and 86 °F). Summer months (July–September) typically see highs between 34 and 36 °C (93 and 97 °F) and dew points of 21–23 °C (70–73 °F). The winter months (December–February) are
4740-460: The ship and took them prisoner. Having sponsored two exploratory voyages in the South Seas just with some giant pearls samples, Cortés decided to lead a third exploration himself. Annoyed that his enemy, Nuño de Guzmán, had requisitioned one of his ships during the first expedition, Cortés decided to confront Guzmán on his own ground and from there set up the third expedition; consequently he prepared
4819-529: The size of the London of Henry VIII . In a letter to the Spanish king, Cortés wrote that Tenochtitlan was as large as Seville or Córdoba . Cortés' men were in awe at the sight of the splendid city and many wondered if they were dreaming. Although some popular sources put the number as high as 350,000 the most common estimates of the population are of over 200,000 people. One of the few comprehensive academic surveys of Mesoamerican city and town sizes arrived at
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#17328590145304898-447: The structures caused them to sink into the sediment of Lake Texcoco; the ruins now rest at an angle instead of horizontally. Mexico City's Zócalo , the Plaza de la Constitución , is located at the site of Tenochtitlan's original central plaza and market, and many of the original calzadas still correspond to modern city streets. The Aztec calendar stone was located in the ruins. This stone
4977-418: The things that we saw were not a dream? (...) I do not know how to describe it, seeing things as we did that had never been heard of or seen before, not even dreamed about. The city was divided into four zones, or camps ; each camp was divided into 20 districts ( calpullis , Nahuatl languages : calpōlli , pronounced [kaɬˈpoːlːi] , meaning "large house"); and each calpulli , or 'big house',
5056-517: The village. Many of his descendants continue to live, fish, and work in the village. The area was first inhabited by Neolithic hunter-gatherers at least 10,000 years ago who left traces of their existence in the form of rock paintings near the city and throughout the Baja California Peninsula . Hernán Cortés sailed into Bahía de La Paz on May 3, 1535. He attempted to start a colony but abandoned his efforts after several years due to logistical problems. Sebastián Vizcaíno arrived in 1596 as part of
5135-479: The war of Tenochtitlan against its neighbor Tlatelolco in 1473 and the Spanish conquest in 1521 is the Anales de Mexico y Tlatelolco, 1473, 1521–22 . Anthropologist Susan Kellogg has studied colonial-era inheritance patterns of Nahuas in Mexico City, using Nahuatl - and Spanish-language testaments. On the 13th of August 1521, after over two months of fighting,Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés succeeded in bringing about
5214-608: Was Fortún Ximénez . In 1533, shortly after the conquest of Tenochtitlan , Hernán Cortés sent two ships, Concepción , under the command of captain and commander of the expedition, Diego de Becerra [ es ] , and San Lázaro under Capt. Hernando de Grijalva, to explore the South Seas of the Pacific Ocean. The ships set out 30 November 1533, to travel north along the coast of New Spain from present-day Manzanillo, Colima , in search of two ships that had been lost without
5293-520: Was captured by the Tlaxcaltec and the Spanish in 1521 . At its peak, it was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas . It subsequently became a cabecera of the Viceroyalty of New Spain . Today, the ruins of Tenochtitlan are in the historic center of the Mexican capital. The World Heritage Site of Xochimilco contains what remains of the geography (water, boats, floating gardens ) of
5372-403: Was a large peninsula . There he met natives who wore few clothes and spoke an unknown language; their culture was very different from that of the inhabitants of the Mexican highlands. The crews of his ships saw the “scantily-clad” women and raped them. The Spaniards soon became aware of the large pearls that the natives extracted from the pearl oysters abounding in the bay, and proceeded to plunder
5451-464: Was a large Mexican altepetl in what is now the historic center of Mexico City . The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear, but the date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the city. The city was built on an island in what was then Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico . The city was the capital of the expanding Aztec Empire in the 15th century until it
5530-564: Was crossed by streets or tlaxilcalli . There were three main streets that crossed the city, each leading to one of the three causeways to the mainland of Tepeyac , Iztapalapa , and Tlacopan . Bernal Díaz del Castillo reported that they were wide enough for ten horses. Surrounding the raised causeways were artificial floating gardens with canal waterways and gardens of plants, shrubs, and trees. The calpullis were divided by channels used for transportation, with wood bridges that were removed at night. The earliest European images of
5609-451: Was greeted by the ruler and his lords, but forbidden to touch him. Cortés gave him a necklace of crystals, placing it over his neck. They were then brought to a large house that would serve as their home for their stay in the city. Once they were settled, Moctezuma himself sat down and spoke with Cortés. The great ruler declared that anything that they needed would be theirs to have. He was thrilled to have visitors of such stature. Although
5688-450: Was indeed planned to happen. During the festival, the Spaniards came heavily armed and closed off every exit from the courtyard so that no one would escape. This happened during their last days in Tenochtitlan. Nobles lined each side of the city's main causeway, which extended about a league (4.83 km). Walking down the center came Moctezuma II, with two lords at his side, one his brother, the ruler of Iztapalapa . Cortés dismounted and
5767-521: Was killed in his sleep by Ximénez. Also the crewmen loyal to the murdered captain were attacked and later rebel sailors abandoned both the wounded navigators and the Franciscan friars accompanying the expedition on the coast of present-day Michoacán . Ximénez sailed to the northwest following the coast and at some point turned west and reached a bay that is now the port of the city of La Paz. Ximénez thought that he had found an island, and never knew that it
5846-523: Was perpetually enlarged as Tenochtitlan grew to become the largest and most powerful city in Mesoamerica . Commercial routes were developed that brought goods from places as far as the Gulf of Mexico , the Pacific Ocean and perhaps even the Inca Empire . After a flood of Lake Texcoco , the city was rebuilt during the rule of Ahuitzotl , which was between 1486 and 1502, in a style that made it one of
5925-428: Was preferred. Most of the population liked to bathe twice a day; Moctezuma was said to take four baths a day. According to the context of Aztec culture in literature, the soap that they most likely used was the root of a plant called copalxocotl ( Saponaria americana ), and to clean their clothes they used the root of metl ( Agave americana ). Also, the upper classes and pregnant women washed themselves in
6004-421: Was supposedly the one who ordered the officers executed. Back in Tenochtitlan , Cortés detained Moctezuma and questioned him. Though no serious conclusions were reached, this negatively affected the relationship between Moctezuma and the Spaniards. Cortés subsequently besieged Tenochtitlan for over 90 days, causing a famine. Having gained control, he then directed the systematic destruction and leveling of
6083-403: Was the cuicalli , or house of the songs, and the calmecac . The city had great symmetry. All constructions had to be approved by the calmimilocatl , a functionary in charge of the city planning. The palace of Moctezuma II also had two houses or zoos , one for birds of prey and another for other birds , reptiles , and mammals . About 300 people were dedicated to the care of
6162-482: Was the capital of the Mexican civilization of the Mexica people, founded in 1325. The state religion of the Mexica civilization awaited the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy: the wandering tribes would find the destined site for a great city whose location would be signaled by an eagle with a snake in its beak perched atop a cactus ( Opuntia ), which had grown from the heart of Copil . The Mexica saw this vision on what
6241-565: Was then a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco , a vision that is now immortalized in Mexico's coat of arms and on the Mexican flag . Not deterred by the unfavourable terrain, they set about building their city, using the chinampa system (misnamed as "floating gardens") for agriculture and to dry and expand the island. A thriving culture developed, and the Mexica civilization came to dominate other tribes around Mexico. The small natural island
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