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Studying the Mexican War of Independence
World History
What effect did events in Europe have on Mexico in 1808?
When Napoleon turned on Spain and forced out the Spanish king, he put his brother Joseph Bonaparte in charge. This created a crisis and power struggle in Spain that rippled down to its American colonies, including Mexico. The creation of the Supreme Central and Governmental Junta of Spain and the Indies, was criticized for providing unequal representation to the overseas territories. This led to a shift in leadership over the colonies in the Americas and some of these pushed hard for independence. This led to numerous successful revolts and independence movements.
What was Spanish Rule in Mexico like?
New Spain was a colonial territory of the Spanish Empire that included the land of Mexico. Along with the territory of what is now Mexico, it also included Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America as far south as Costa Rica, the southwestern United States including Florida, and the Philippines. It was administered based on a hierarchical racial classification system, with Spaniards at the top and the indigenous Indians at the bottom. Spanish rule not only determined social class, but also had an effect on every aspect of life, including economics and taxation. The monarch of Spain had tremendous power and control over New Spain…
