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Northern Mexico
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THE FIRST EUROPEAN CITY IN NORTH AMERICA: VILLA RICA DE LA VERA CRUZ
Pre-Hispanic Era
The Totonacs were the first inhabitants of the region.
There are some vestiges of this important culture in Zempoala, an archaeological site located very close to Veracruz. In addition, there was an indigenous settlement called "Tenoya" where the Church of Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje now stands, "Chalchicueyecán" in the current Costa Verde, the city of "Chachihuitlapazco" on Sacrificios Island, and another sanctuary called "Tecpantlayacac" in San Juan de Ulúa.
Colonial Era
In 1518, Juan de Grijalva arrived at Aculuacan, later known as San Juan de Ulúa, and then ventured into the country through the Papaloapan River. One year later, Hernán Cortes established what became the first European city in North America and named it Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz.
He founded this city on April 22, 1519, on the beaches in front of the islet of San Juan de Ulúa, known as Chalchihuecan. Its first mayors were Francisco de Montejo and Alonso Hernández de Portocarrero. On July 14, 1523, Emperor Charles V granted the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz the coat of arms through a royal decree.
In 1525, the settlement of Veracruz was moved and established on the banks of the Huitzilapan River, at a place known as the "Antigua Veracruz." It remained there until 1600 when the Viceroy of Monterrey relocated it to its original site, where it stands today, and it was decreed as the Nueva Veracruz on May 8, 1608, receiving the title of a city. The city was commonly known as the city of "Tablas" due to its houses being constructed with this material.
Starting from 1550, large-scale extraction of gold and silver began here, and by the end of the 16th century, it represented 80% of the exported wealth.
History of Veracruz
Consequently, the port prospered rapidly, but this growth did not go unnoticed by British and Dutch pirates who targeted the area and attacked the port on several occasions. Among their attackers were the famous Francis Drake and John Hawkins.
As a result, the colonial authorities decided to take action and, in 1663, began the construction of the fort on the island of San Juan de Ulúa. This project continued to expand until its completion in 1746, when it had become a considerable wall with seven bulwarks: Santiago or El Polvorín, San José, Santa Bárbara, San Javier, San Mateo, San Juan, and the Concepción. This fortress was demolished in 1889, and only the Santiago bulwark remains today.
Once protected, the development of the most important port in New Spain continued. Consequently, the city became the birthplace of a wealthy commercial bourgeoisie and, by 1778, was more prosperous than Mexico City, for which Veracruz was also a key point in its development.
In 1786, the territory of the state was officially named Veracruz for the first time, though it had to wait until 1824, with the establishment of the Constitution of Independent Mexico, to be officially named the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz.
War of Independence
The population of Veracruz was very receptive to liberal and republican ideologies, making it one of the focal points of the Mexican independence movement. Several groups of Veracruzanos rebelled and confronted the Spanish forces to prevent them from reinforcing the contingents in the central region of the country.
Juan de O'Donojú, the last viceroy, traveled to Veracruz and signed the Treaty of Córdoba with Agustín de Iturbide on August 23 and 24, 1821, proclaiming Mexico's independence.
Invasions and Reform
Shortly after, the War of Reform broke out, and Veracruz played a leading role. It was where Benito Juárez, under the protection of then-governor Manuel Gutiérrez Zamora, established the capital of the Republic and enacted "The Laws of Reform" in 1860.
General Ignacio de la Llave, who was governor of the state from 1857 to 1860, fought heroically against the French, and after his death, a decree was published on July 10, 1863, naming the state the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz-Llave.
On May 28, 1864, Veracruz witnessed the arrival of Maximilian of Habsburg, who sought to impose a monarchy in Mexico, leading the Juárez government to take refuge in the interior. The Republic was restored with the triumph of the republican forces in Querétaro in June 1867.
Porfirio Díaz Era and Revolution
In the last third of the 19th century, several rebellions occurred. In 1879, the crew of the gunboat "Libertad" revolted in the port of Tlacotalpan, and the rebellion was severely suppressed by orders of President Porfirio Díaz. Later, in 1896, an indigenous uprising occurred, which was suppressed by the massacre of 6,000 people.
The state of Veracruz benefited in many ways during the Porfiriato: the port was modernized, electricity was introduced, modern buildings for the time were constructed, and the economy and commerce grew.
During the Mexican Revolution, Francisco I. Madero received decisive support from the Veracruzanos in his struggle to overthrow Porfirio Díaz, who left the country in 1911, departing from the port of Veracruz bound for France.
On April 21 and 22, 1914, still during the Revolution, the Port of Veracruz suffered a new American invasion, encountering groups of civilian volunteers and cadets from the naval military school who valiantly defended the nation's integrity, showing heroism to the enemy troops.
With this confrontation, the Port of Veracruz earned its fourth and last - up to this day - title of "heroic," and it is now known as a "four times heroic" city.
In November of the same year, 1914, and until October 1915, Veracruz was once again the capital of the Republic during the government of Venustiano Carranza, and it was here that the "agrarian laws" and "free municipality" laws, among others, were promulgated.
Modern Era
In 1937, Veracruz once again played a significant role in a national movement when a group of state oil workers initiated a strike, which marked the beginning of a series of labor conflicts that eventually led to the Oil Expropriation of 1938.
Since then, Veracruz Llave has achieved considerable economic development and strong social cohesion. The Heriberto Jara International Airport was inaugurated in 1969.
It is said that the history of Mexico has passed through the narrow gates of Veracruz.
HISTORIC PORT WITH A UNIQUE MIX OF CULTURES AND FLAVORS