Program Information

For almost 300 years after 1521, Mexico was a colony of Spain and known as “La Nueva España” or New Spain. It was the crown jewel in Spain’s holdings in the New World.

A Moment in Time is a brief, exciting and compelling journey into the past. Created to excite and enlighten the public about the past, its relevance to the present and its impact on the future, A Moment In Time is a captivating historical narrative that is currently broadcast worldwide.

Transcript

Lead: For almost 300 years after 1521, Mexico was a colony of Spain and known as “La Nueva España” or New Spain. It was the crown jewel in Spain’s holdings in the New World.

Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1521, Mexico grew to include most of present day Central America and the southwestern United States. The colonial period lasted until the revolt of 1810 which was led by a priest, Miguel Hidalgo, known today as the father of Mexico’s independence.

Under the Spanish administration, the indigenous population did not fare well. The main political, economic, and military power was held firmly in Spanish hands, and most indigenous people were kept in poverty. Eventually the vast majority of the native population was killed off by European diseases from which it had no immunity, such as small pox and measles. It is estimated that the native population shrank from ten to twelve million at the time of the conquest to approximately one million by the mid-seventeenth century. This meant a terrific labor shortage, which was rectified through the importation of 200,000 or more African slaves. The Spanish capitalized on the colony’s natural resources and developed trade based on agricultural products, textiles and on mining, particularly silver.

One of the most important aspects of the colonial period was the introduction of Roman Catholicism. During colonial times, missionary friars often came into conflict with secular authority and vigorously objected to the treatment of the native population, what was left of it, thus earning the respect of indigenous peoples who in turn were converted to Catholicism. Across colonial Mexico, 12,000 churches were built and today almost 90 percent of Mexico’s population is Roman Catholic.

Research by Ann Johnson, at the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

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