Mexico was a colony of Spain until 1810, when the Mexican people rebelled against their Spanish rulers. After a long war, they won their independence in 1821. However, by then much of the land was owned by wealthy people who were descendants of the original Spanish conquerors. Their estates were called haciendas, and the people who worked on them made extremely poor wages.
Poverty and the unfair social structure that kept people of Spanish descent in control fueled many rebellions. In 1910, civil war broke out in Mexico. The war pitted many groups in Mexico against one another, and continued for more than a decade. In 1917, a new Mexican constitution was approved. It ensured that the native peoples of Mexico would have the same rights as people of Spanish descent.
Today, Mexico is a land of opposites. There is great wealth and serious poverty. In 1950, less than half of Mexico’s population lived in towns or cities of 2,500 people or more. By 2005, that number had changed dramatically. Today, more than three-fourths of the population live in towns
OPPOSITE The Plaza of the Three Cultures in Mexico City reflects the Aztec, Spanish, and mixed heritage of the Mexican people. Around the plaza are the ruins of the ancient Aztec city of Tlatelolco, the Spanish Cathedral of Santiago, and the Department of Foreign Affairs building of the Mexican government.
World History
