-
Feb 14, 1325
Aztecs foundTenochtitlán
Aztecs found Tenochtitlán -
Feb 14, 1492
Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean islands
When Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean islands in 1492, he thought he had reached the East Indies in Asia. Therefore, he called the natives “Indians.” -
Feb 14, 1502
Montezuma becomes Aztec emperor.
Montezuma becomes Aztec emperor. -
Jan 1, 1519
Hernando Cortés landed on the coast of Mexico
In 1519, Hernando Cortés landed on the coast of Mexico -
Feb 14, 1521
Cortés and his soldiers had conquered the Aztecs
By 1521, Cortés and his soldiers had conquered the Aztecs. -
Feb 14, 1521
Cortés conquers Aztec empire.
Cortés conquers Aztec empire. -
Viceroy is recalled to Spain
Viceroy is recalled to Spain after rioting in Mexico City by Indians and others. -
Toussaint L’Ouverture led a slave rebellion in Haiti
In the 1790s, Toussaint L’Ouverture led a slave rebellion in Haiti and took over the government of the island. -
Haiti had achieved independence from France
By 1804, Haiti had achieved independence from France. -
Napoleon’s armies invaded Portugal
In 1807, Napoleon’s armies invaded Portugal. -
Napoleon’s defeat
Brazil remained a Portuguese colony from 1500 to 1822. After Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, many people in Brazil demanded independence from Portugal. However, the Portuguese government wanted Brazil to remain a colony. -
Mexico achieved independence from Spain
In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain under Agustín de Iturbide, who proclaimed himself emperor in 1822. -
Agustín de Iturbide proclaimes himself emperor
Agustín de Iturbide, proclaimed himself emperor in 1822. -
Region declared its independence from Mexico and took the name of the United Provinces of Central America.
The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico opened the door to Spanish control of Central America. Spain ruled Central America until the 19th century. Mexico declared its
independence from Spain in 1821. Up to that point, Central America had been governed from Mexico. In 1823, however, the whole region declared its independence from Mexico and took the name of the United Provinces of Central America. -
United Provinces had split into separate nations.
By the late 1830s, the United Provinces had split into separate nations. These became El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Later, Panama broke off from Colombia and became an independent country in Central America. Belize, a former British colony, broke away from British Honduras. -
United States wins Mexican-American War.
United States wins Mexican-American War. -
Cuba achieved independence from Spain
Cuba achieved independence from Spain in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War. After an occupation by United States forces, the island became self-governing in 1902. -
Panama won its independence
In 1903, Panama was still a province of Colombia, which did not like the idea. The United States encouraged a revolution in Panama, and when it won its independence, Panama granted the United States a ten-mile-wide zone in which to build a canal. -
A new constitutionwas adopted
Juárez was eventually succeeded by Porfirio Díaz. His harsh and corrupt rule brought about a revolution and civil war, led by Francisco Madero, Pancho Villa, and Emiliano Zapata. A new constitutionwas adopted in 1917. It redistributed nearly half
of Mexico’s farmland to peasants. -
A new political party arosein Mexico.
In 1929, a new political party arose
in Mexico. This was the Institutional Revolutionary
Party . It helped to introduce democracy and
maintain political stability for much of the 20th century.
It continued the policy of redistributing land to
the peasants. However, because it did not tolerate
opposition, fraud and corruption undermined the
democratic process. -
Two parties opposed to the PRI
In 1997, two parties opposed to the PRI won a large number of seats in the congress. -
Vicente Fox was elected president of Mexico.
In 2000, Vicente Fox, the National Action Party candidate, was elected president of Mexico.
