The Viceroyalty

The Viceroyalty

October 1533. Antonio de Mendoza, Marquess of Tendilla, arrived in Mexico to become the first viceroy of New Spain.
In January 1536 the Imperial College of Santa Cruz de Santiago Tlatelolco was founded, and devoted to higher education.

Coins began to be minted in New Spain in April 1536. This silver coinage became highly valued and was known as the Mexican Issue.

In 1536 the first printing press on the Continent of America was set up in Mexico.

May 1539. Hernando de Soto's expedition set out to conquer Florida. He died in the attempt and his body was thrown into the Mississippi.

July 1541. Captain Pedro de Alvarado died from the injuries he received when his horse fell into a ravine. He was fighting an Indian rebellion in the region of Juchipila.

October 1541. Viceroy Mendoza, returning from a campaign to pacify Jalisco, founded the city of Valladolid (now Morelia).

January 1542. Francisco de Montejo the Younger conquered Yucatan and founded Merida on the ruins of the ancient city of Ti-ho.

June 1543. Friar Bartolomé de las Casas was appointed Bishop of Chiapas and devoted himself to defending the Indians, demanding that the royal laws be observed.

July 1547. Pope Paul II appointed Friar Juan de Zumárraga Archbishop of Mexico. In the same month the College of San Juan de Letran was founded.

Hernán Cortés died at Castilleja de la Cuesta, Seville on December 2, 1547. In 1562 his remains were transferred to the church of Jesus Nazareno in Mexico City.

February 1551. The viceroy Luis de Velasco (the elder) granted unconditional freedom to a large number of Indians who were working a slaves in mines and on farms.

On January 21, 1553 the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico opened its doors.

July 1557. A great technical advance was made at Real del Monte (now in the State of Hidalgo) when mercury extraction of silver was begun. This technique was invented by the miner Bartolomé de Medina.

April 1566. In the absence of the viceroy, Gastón de Peralta, the audiencia seized a group of conspirators, sons of conquistadors led by the sons of Cortés. They were accused of trying to "run off with the country" and declare its independence from Spain. Alonso and Gil Gonzalez de Avila were beheaded.

September 22, 1568. The English buccaneer John Hawkins attempted to take the port of Veracruz, but was defeated and forced to withdraw.

October 1571. The Inquisition was formally established in New Spain The first inquisitor General was Bishop Pedro de Moya y Contreras.

November 1599. Captain Diego de Montemayor founded the New Kingdom of Leon.

February 1606. The building of the Chapultepec aqueduct was begun in Mexico City to end at a fountain called "Salto del Agua."

February 1609. Captain Pedro Gonzalez de Herrera put down a rebellion of negro slaves in the region of Cordoba, Veracruz, led by Antonio Yanga. They were given permission to found a village of free negroes called San Lorenzo de los Negros (now Yanga).

In 1694 the literature of Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz was at its peak.

In 1700, Father Eusebio Kino traveled in and colonized Lower California, showing that it is a peninsula.

February 1710. The Tribunal de la Acordada was created to suppress banditry in the countryside.

March 1725. The British of Belize invaded Yucatan but were beaten back by the militia under captain Antonio de Figueroa.

November and December 1761. There was an armed rebellion of the Mayas, led by Jacinto Canek, who was defeated and executed.

In 1765 King Charles III sent the inspector loss Gálvez to New Spain to improve and modernize the viceregal government.

June 21, 1767. Under Viceroy Marquess de Croix the Jesuits were expelled from New Spain and all Spanish dominions, accused of plotting against the Crown. This produced rebellions in San Luis Potosi, Pátzcuaro, Valladolid and Guanajuato.

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