History of Guadalajara
History of Mérida
History of Oaxaca
Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Southern Mexico
History of Guadalajara
History of Mérida
History of Oaxaca
Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Southern Mexico
AN IMPORTANT CITY FOR COMMUNICATION AND TRADE BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY
Pre-Hispanic Era
In pre-Hispanic times, three important indigenous groups prevailed in what is now the state of San Luis Potosí: Huastecs, Pames, and Guachichiles.
The Huastecs referred to themselves as "serpientes" or "tzanes." The cultural development of the Huasteca region spans from the Preclassic period (approx. 2000 BC) to the Postclassic period (1519 AD).
The Huastecs crafted excellent ceramic pieces and worked with gold, copper, jade, onyx, obsidian, and stone. They produced amate or fig tree bark paper. They played the ball game and had various ritual dances, including the famous "volador." Their music involved flutes with five notes, whistles, trumpet-like instruments, drums, and tablas. They cultivated crops such as corn, beans, chili or ají peppers, tomatoes, cotton, and squash.
Regarding the Chichimecas, the term "Chichimeca" is a generic name used to refer to indigenous groups living in the northern part of Mesoamerica, the area of major cultures. Among these groups were the Guachichiles and the Pames.
The Guachichiles inhabited the western region of the state of San Luis Potosí. "Quachichil" is a Nahuatl word, which means sparrow: from "quaitl," head, and "chichiltic," reddish or vermilion thing. The Spanish named them this way because it was their custom to dye their hair reddish, giving them the appearance of sparrows. Their religion was very rudimentary.
They didn't wear clothes; women tied deer skins around their waists. They painted themselves with red earth and other minerals in black and yellow tones. When mourning, they shaved their heads and painted themselves black. They hunted hares, birds, and deer. Instead of using clay or wooden vessels, they used tightly woven thread containers. They enjoyed playing the ball game and were highly warlike. Around 1550-51, they began attacking traders from Zacatecas, and they remained at war until 1589, when Rodrigo Río de la Loza managed to establish a definitive peace with them.
As for the Pames, during the conquest, the Chichimecas closest to Mexico were called "pamies" because they often used the word "pami" in their language, which means "No." They occupied parts of Michoacán, Querétaro, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosí. The Pames, in general, were gentle people, known for their laziness. Their houses were made of grass, aoyate, or palm. The Pames referred to themselves as "xiui," a term that recognized them as members of a specific ethnic group. Santa María Acapulco is one of the indigenous settlements where Pame cultural heritage has been preserved most emphatically.
History of San Luis Potosí
Colonial Era
Spanish penetration into the Huasteca region took place shortly after the process of conquest and colonization of New Spain began. The lordship of Oxitipa was in the hands of Hernán Cortés and Nuño de Guzmán.
The evangelization of this area was carried out by Fray Andrés de Olmos, a Franciscan missionary. In early 1592, the mines of Cerro de San Pedro were discovered, leading to the foundation of the town of San Luis Minas del Potosí in November of the same year.
Three central figures played a role in the establishment of this settlement. The first two were Fray Diego de la Magdalena, a Franciscan whose evangelizing work, along with Captain Miguel Caldera, succeeded in subduing the Guachichiles and initiating them into sedentary life. Indigenous Tlaxcaltecs assisted them in showing the benefits of labor. The third figure was Don Juan de Oñate, the first mayor, who was responsible for the planning and initial layout of the town.
San Luis Minas del Potosí experienced significant growth due to the mining boom, leading to an increase in the number of Franciscan and Augustinian convents to meet the spiritual needs of the population.
The 17th century was very significant for San Luis Potosí, although mining production had declined considerably. Jesuits, Juaninos, and Mercedarians established themselves in the area, and the first sanctuary of Guadalupe in New Spain was erected.
In 1656, the town of San Luis gained city status, and Mayor Don Martín de Mendalde, around 1674, distinguished himself for his good governance.
The first constitution of the state was sworn in on October 26, 1826. Despite the prevailing poor economic conditions, the San Luis Potosí Mint was established in 1827 to mint silver from the mines of Charcas and Catorce, which had until then been minted in the Mint of the city of Zacatecas.
19th century
San Luis Potosí was one of the main hubs for land communications in the 19th century, both to the north and to the Gulf of Mexico, reaching the port of Tampico. It was also an important distribution center for all imported goods.
Revolución y Siglo XX
At the beginning of the 20th century, oil deposits were discovered near Ebano, marking the start of systematic commercial exploitation of oil in Mexico.
Intellectual precursors of the Díaz Soto y Gama revolution, Juan Sarabia, Rivera, Arriaga, and others, initiated the fight against the dictatorship in the First Liberal Congress, inaugurated on February 5, 1901.
Around 1905, Vicente Cedillo rose in Minas Viejas, in the municipality of Ciudad del Maíz.
The Maderist revolutionaries in San Luis Potosí organized armed resistance in their areas of influence. After Madero's fall and Victoriano Huerta's usurpation, Venustiano Carranza organized an army in the northern part of the country to fight against Huerta. Others revolutionaries joined him, including Francisco Villa, Álvaro Obregón, and, in San Luis Potosí, Juan Barragán.
When Huerta was defeated, the revolutionaries divided into constitutionalists, villistas, zapatistas, and other groups, including those led by Alberto Carrera Torres and the Cedillo brothers, Saturnino and Cleofas, in San Luis Potosí.
General Saturnino Cedillo was the first post-revolution governor of San Luis Potosí, serving a full term. He had a long and experienced military career.
Since the 1960s, the state's industrial development has been promoted, and San Luis Potosí is currently a prosperous city.
IMPORTANT MINING CENTER DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD
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