Mexico – Page 3 – The Pull Of The Land

Mexico’s Turbulent History — Part IV: Colonial Mexico (conclusion)

July 21, 2022July 21, 2022 Richard Barnes

By Mike Ashe

Spanish Immigration

Interestingly Spaniards did not emigrate to New Spain in great numbers; only about 20,000 made México their home. In order to migrate Spaniards had to prove Roman Catholic purity; in other words, Jews and Muslims were excluded in the fear that they would taint New Spain’s religious order. In the late 16^th century, Spain and Portugal had the same monarchy (Iberian union) and many Portuguese Jews that nominally converted to Roman Catholicism resulted in “Crypto-Jews” immigration to New Spain, although in small numbers.

As an aside, not until the 19^th century were Non-Spanish Jews allowed to immigrate freely. The Polanco section of México City where we lived was home to a large colony of Mexican Jews with European ancestry (Germans, French, British were the first to immigrate followed by Eastern European Jews at the end of the century). The total Mexican Jewish Population is not large (about 50,000) but highly influential.

The Mexican Hacienda

The birth of the Hacienda economic system began immediately after the fall of the Aztec nation. When you think of the Hacienda you might picture courtyards, verandas, and sprawling land/acreage containing crops, cattle, and of course vaqueros on horseback. There were of course many of them all over México, Texas, New México, and California. Many of these still exist and in California they have been upscaled with the same colonial motif and occupied now by many of the wealthy Los Angelinos as well as throughout California.

The single most famous of all the Haciendas was awarded to Hernando Cortes which is now the State of Morelos. He built a fortress atop conquered Aztec ruins in Cuernavaca. Cuernavaca and surrounding areas (Valley of Morelos some 40 miles south of México City at an elevation of about 5,000 ft) were prized rich farm land with the most appealing climate of all of México.

My family would make many day trips to Cuernavaca, Cocoyoc, and other resorts in the area. The area at that time had some very nice swimming pools with very high platforms for diving. My two bothers and I would jump off them (never diving too high) for hours. In those days visiting these resorts was not too expensive and some did not charge to use their facilities, so we made the trip often.

These are all treasurers for the enjoyment of the Mexican people.

The Other Colonial Mexican Haciendas

Cortes gifted his soldiers with land grants along with tribute from the conquered indigenous people as forced labor. Much like the medieval feudal systems in Europe.

The term Hacienda included Silver Mines in Zacatecas and surrounding areas in the north, Cattle Ranches, farms, sugar plantations, textile mills, and factories. Most of the hacienda owners did not live in the haciendas but visited from their places in the cities. In modern México, this practice is very much the same.

In the Haciendas system most of the commerce was designed for export to Spain, including sugar, cocoa, silver, gold, textiles. Hernando Cortes was the first to introduce domestic animals (cattle, goats, sheep) to México. He also introduced European edible plants to the New World, although some scholars credit this to Christopher Columbus’ second voyage.

The Spanish influence on North American culture included the raising of cattle and the Vaqueros (cowboys) with silver spurs and wide brim sombreros to supply mining towns and export the hides to Spain. Some of these family Hacienda were huge, with over 11 million acres.

Hacienda life attracted many Spanish Settlers which in some cases resulted in an increase in misery and death for the indigenous people. The church did champion the cause of the downtrodden and the crown introduced new laws that would grant freedom to them. These laws were not received well by the New World Spaniard’s and change was slow in coming but it did come eventually.

[As explained by Robert Wayne Powell in Tree of Hate, part of the problem was that well-intentioned royal decrees were promulgated on the basis of Lascasian reports which oftentimes did not reflect realities on the ground and did not request nor consider input from the Spaniards working the lands in the New World — RMB]

Spanish Crown’s plan to extend Borders.

Spain’s plan was to 1) increase her own wealth and influence in México and 2) to promote Catholicism through conversion of the indigenous peoples. The agencies/systems included:

The Presidios or military garrisons. In Mexico they were used in the desert frontier to control rebellious indigenous tribes. The warriors were captured and enslaved in the presidios. The present-day Northern States included Baja California Sur, Nuevo Leon, Sonora, Durango, Chihuahua, and Coahuila.

They also extended as far as California to include San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. Many in Florida including Presidio San Miguel de Panzacola located in present-day downtown Pensacola. Current-day states included South Carolina, Georgia. Louisiana, Texas, New México, and Arizona.

[For those interested in the Presidio system and its truly amazing successes — far more successful than the post-Civil War North American forts system– I recommend Philip Wayne Powell’s Mexico’s Miguel Caldera. His work is objective and shows that Spain’s efforts in Mexico were often highly laudable — RMB]

Pueblos, were civilian towns sometimes clustered around presidios for protection in the north.

Missions Roman Catholic priests came to Mexico to spread the word of Jesus Christ and to convert the indigenous people. Early missionaries won over the people and championed their cause. They learned the native languages and helped record native history. The indigenous peopled learned Latin so well that they taught it to the Spanish settlers. The Florentine Codes were compiled which enabled the writing of Nahuatl using the Roman alphabet. This later served to preserve the history of Mesoamerica.

Spanish Architecture

Stunning is the only way to describe it and mostly still standing.

Spanish Inquisition

The friars were replaced by materialistic clergy and many of the efforts by Zumarraga (Mexico’s first bishop) were overturned. The new clergy were dependent on settlers and not the church, which became a secular institution. The Spanish Inquisition was a dark chapter in Spanish rule in Spain and in New Spain. The inquisition lasted for 250 years and claimed about 50 people (many Crypto-Jews) who were burned at the stake. The Inquisition was used in the later years of Spanish rule to stamp down political dissent.

Independence from Spain is brewing

A forerunner of the fight for Independence from Spain was William Lamport, an Irish nobleman. He was one of the inspirations for Zorro and was arrested and spent 17 years in prison for instigating rebellion against the crown.

Also contributing to the unrest against Spain were the religious disputes against the Jesuits who had accumulated substantial wealth in Mexico. In 1804 the crown decreed that church’s funds for charitable works were taken by the state and the Jesuits expelled. This was a severe blow to the poor of Mexico who were dependent on credit and charity in bad times.

A caste system existed in Mexico at the end of the 18^th Century which was enforced by law.

On top were the white rulers, numbering about 1 million. The top of that group were the Spanish from Spain most of them returned to Spain post-Independence.

Next in the hierarchy were the Spanish born in Mexico. They could not hold royal office. Only whites were allowed to wear fine silk cloths and gentlemen were called caballeros and the ladies damas.

The rest or majority were of mixed races.

The people of Mexico like those of the 13 North American colonies were exploited by Spain and England. Many of the colonists from both wanted to make their wealth and return to Europe.

It’s interesting that the China trade arrived from the Philippines that included silks, ceramics, tea, and spices which arrived in Acapulco and were transported across Mexico to Vera Cruz and sent to Spain along with the Silver from mines in the North.

It’s also interesting that pirates preyed on shipments leaving Vera Cruz bound with these rich cargos.

In 1808 Spain was invaded by Napoleon which forced the abdication of King Ferdinand in favor of Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte. This created a split in Mexico with some supporting Ferdinand and others wanting independence from Spain. A Jesuit priest, Miguel Hidalgo Costilla, in 1803 assumed the duties of parish priest in Dolores in present-day Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato. He was a passionate supporter of independence.

Independence from Spain Ends Colonial Rule

On September 16, 1810 (celebrated today as Mexican Independence Day) father Hidalgo rang the church bells to call his parishioners to an announcement of revolution against the Spanish, racial equality, and redistribution of land. It became the Grito de Dolores. His rebellion was suppressed outside of Guadalajara and Hidalgo fled north, was later captured, and shot by firing squad as a rebel.

Jose Morelos y Pavon, also a parish priest turned military leader, fought for independence until he was captured and executed in 1815 (the now State of Morelos bears his name). Another priest, Mariano Matamoros, became one of Morelos’ generals and was also captured and executed in 1814. The seed however was sown by these priests and in 1821 Augustin de Iturbide led troops into Mexico City and declared the country’s independence.

The treaty of Cordoba established Mexico as an independent constitutional monarchy under Augustin de Iturbide. This was accepted by the Spanish viceroy Juan de O’Donnju.

Other noteworthy revolutionary leaders included Vicente Guerrero, Juan Almonte, Josepha Ortiz de Dominguez, Guadalupe Victoria (First President of Mexico) Ignacio Lopez Rayon, Juana Marian Guadalupe Perez Pavon, Nichols Bravo, Leona Vicario.

Next: Independence

Palace of Cortés in Cuernavaca, Mexico, built circa 1523-1528: the oldest colonial-era civil structure in the continental Americas.

Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Remedios, built circa 1575

Santa Prisca in Taxco, Mexico, built in the mid 18th century, considered one of the best examples of the Mexico baroque style

The churrigueresque style cathedral in the silver town of Zacatecas, Mexico. First built in 1568, with several construction projects over the following two centuries culminating in a work of integration between 1731 and 1752. Not fully completed until 1904.

Mexico City National Cathedral, built in sections between 1573 and 1813.

Basilica de Guadalupe in north Mexico City. The shrine was built in 1709; structure completed in 1974

Castillo de Chapultepec, Mexico City, built 1785-1786, with structural changes over the next two centuries.

Las Mañanitas Gardens, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

Mexico’s Turbulent History — Part III: Colonial Mexico

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022 Richard Barnes

This is the third in a series of posts by my friend, Mike Ashe, who has lived in and visited Mexico and has a love and appreciation for that great country.

Mexico has much in common with all of Latin America, not least of which is her Spanish heritage. Therefore, in reviewing her history, one can glean understanding regarding Venezuela as well.

And, as you will see in some of Mike’s commentary, she has much in common with us and Europe in her secular rush to gender ideology, critical race theory, anti-Christianity, and more.

Thank you again, Mike.

By Mike Ashe

Prologue

Rewriting, canceling and ignoring historical era norms to promote an ideology has always been a reality throughout history and continues now in 21^st century México. From the beginning of Colonial Time there has been a constant battle between Secularism and Catholicism. In 1857 the Mexican Constitution established human rights but still did not resolve the continuing conflict.

Recently and without merit, the now President of México, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) asked the Spanish Government and Pope Francis to apologize to the indigenous Mexicans for wrongs committed during the Spanish conquest some 500 years ago.

It is absurd that this irresponsible grievance ideology continues to deflect the lack of vision and governing incompetence of today’s politicians like AMLO. The truth is that modern México, would not be possible without New Spain (with all its good and bad).

AMLO has always been a far left secular demagogue introducing his own version of his North America’s neighbor’s “WOKENESS”. But this attack on Spain and The Catholic Church is nothing new in Mexican politics especially when attempting to deflect blame for his and other’s failed presidencies/governances.

AMLO has always been an admirer of the Castro brothers and Che and has developed a warm relationship with the current Cuban dictator Miguel-Diaz-Canel. In 2020 Guadalajara’s Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez published on his website that the “atheist” Mexican government has begun to take her people down a slippery slope to communism. He backed up his claim by citing how AMLO is assuming a dictatorial role, promoting gender ideology over family values, support for abortion among others.

Roman Catholicism in México, (Counterweight to the Secular Theology, started in 1521 and continues today). In the 1926-29-Cristero Civil War — a rebellion launched by Marxist President Plutarco Elias Calles by executive decree to eliminate the power of the Catholic Church and repress religious freedom. It was bloody: 60,000 Mexican troops and 30,000 Cristeros plus many more civilians lost their lives. In 2000 the Vatican conferred sainthood to 20 priests and 3 laymen.

The First 100 Years

First, let us not forget that Tenochtitlan was an elegant island city with magnificent twin snowcapped Volcanos on the horizon. The altiplano climate at 5,000-7000 ft above sea level was mild year-round with an abundance of water and food for its people. Tenochtitlan was a huge city with public institutions, a system of government, schools, and public services to rival the cities of Europe at that time. This was truly an enchanted part of the world as the 16^th Century began. The Spaniards that first entered the Valley of México, were spellbound by its beauty.

As for the Aztec leader Montezuma the Spaniards arrival meant war and ultimately defeat for him and his people. There are many accounts of what transpired then, suffice it to say that the conquest was completed in 1524.

Colonial México, began when the conquering Spaniards renamed Tenochtitlan México, City. Tenochtitlan was completely destroyed and rebuilt as Nueva Espana (New Spain) and lasted almost 300 years. We will not get into the reconstruction here but it was extensive and lasted for centuries. Hernando Cortes as Governor moved quickly, bringing the first stocks of cattle, sheep, goats, and European vegetables and encouraging his men to marry native women, beginning the first Mestizo race.

In the 1540’s most of the Yucatan was conquered and the city of Merida was founded in 1542. The Mayan empire did not fall until the end of the century. Silver finds in Zacatecas prompted the need to conquer the north sending missionaries into modern day Texas, New México, Arizona, California, Utah, and Colorado.

The destruction was not limited to Tenochtitlan; it meant the almost complete depopulation of the Aztec empire or 10-12 million (Pre-Conquest) with only a million survivors primarily due to the European Small Pox and Measles epidemics (to which the indigenous people had no immunity). The plagues along with famine lasted till the mid-17^th century.

Solving a Labor Shortage

The labor shortage was rectified by the importation of African Slaves and Asians, practically equivalent to slaves.

Blacks were imported as slaves early in the 1520’s and slavery lasted throughout the 300 years of colonial rule bringing in some 200,000 slaves (as a frame of reference, a total of 450,000 arrived in the US. However both the US and Mexico pale against Brazil, which received over 4,900,000 African slaves).

Slaves were used in the silver mines of Zacatecas, Taxco, Guanajuato, and Pachuca; textile factories in Puebla and Oaxaca; and in households everywhere. The knowledge about México’s Africans Slavery is limited; even today most think that Blacks arrived in México, as runaways from North America and Cuba. Now, African descendants identify as Mexican, not Africans. It’s amazing that their spirits were never broken and that there is little to no resentment among their descendants.

As an aside — the heritage of Mexican Blacks includes a rebellion of escaped slaves in the Vera Cruz region lead by Gaspar Yanga (a reported prince from Gabon Africa) between 1570-1609. Yanga’s decades long resistance was in the vicinity of Mount Orizaba the highest mountain in Mexico at 18,491 ft (third highest in North America after Denali and Logan). In 1631 after many bloody battles Yanga and the Spanish Viceroy Pacheco negotiated a settlement that recognized an autonomous region for the African community called San Lorenzo de los Negros. Later renamed in 1932 Gaspar Yanga in horror or the liberator. Slavery was abolished in Mexico in 1829.

Another little-known slave importation included about 8,000 Asians imported into México on Portuguese Galleons from the Philippines/South East Asia, categorized as Chinos to also bolster the labor shortage. They were later treated the same as the indigenous, or vassels of the Spanish Crown after 1672 and not held as property.

As an aside-the massacre of Chinos occurred during the Mexican Revolution mostly by Pancho Villa in the North. The Asians were marched off the largest building in Ciudad Chihuahua and thrown down abandoned mineshafts. Of course, historians blame it as a colonial leftover!

The most important part of the colonial period was the introduction of Roman Catholicism in new Spain.

As New Spain was born, old Spain became challenged with the prospects of governing a land and population that was far greater than their own and two months away by sea to reach. To their credit, they appointed a Viceroy to oversee the Territories from California to Panama, Caribbean Islands, and the Philippines (there were total of 62 viceroys). They also setup a high court including Nuno de Guzman one of three judges in México, with disastrous results for the indigenous population.

During the same time the first bishop of México, Juan de Zumarraga entered México, in 1527 and was enraged by Guzman’s mistreatment of the poor indigenous people and the judges corruption. Guzman was savage in his treatment of the people of México, he was returned to Spain and put under house arrest. His replacement proved to be a man of high quality and corrected many of the abuses.

The bishop and the Spanish friars were viewed by the people as their allies and all of México, was converted to the Catholic faith.

Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe (It’s reported occurrence is perhaps the most consequential in Mexican History)

According to the account of the apparition written in the Nahuatl language The Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego (an indigenous Chichimec peasant) four times and once to his uncle Juan Bernardino.

The first apparition occurred in the morning of 9 December 1531 Juan Diego experienced a vision of a young woman on the Hill of Tepeyac and speaking in the Nahuatl language identified herself as the mother of the true deity. She asked that a church be erected at the site in her honor.

Diego reported the apparition to the Archbishop Juan de Zumaraga. The bishop, not unexpectedly, did not believe. Later that same day (the second apparition) Our Lady asked Diego to keep insisting.

The following day on the 10^th Diego spoke to the archbishop the second time. This time the bishop asked for a sign to prove her identity.

Later that day Diego returned to Tepeyac (the third apparition occurred) reporting the archbishop’s request for a sign, to which she agreed.

On the 11^th of December Juan Diego’s uncle became ill which required that he attend to him. Early the next day his uncle’s conditioned had worsened and on his death bed Diego took his uncle to a priest to hear his last confession.

Ashamed that he had been tardy in meeting with the Virgin, Diego chose another route bypassing Tepeyac. En route the virgin intercepted him (fourth apparition) asking him where he was going. Diego explained his situation and the virgin asked him “No estoy yo aguí, que soy tu madre?” (Am I not here? I who am your mother?) This is the most important phrase in Mexican History and is inscribed above the entrance to the Basilica de Guadalupe.

The Virgin then directed Juan Diego to gather roses on the summit of Tepeyac which due to the winter was normally barren, he obeyed and found Castilian roses not native to México, but common in Spain (special miraculous significance). The Virgin arranged the flowers in Juan Diego’s cloak and when he opened the cloak later that day before the Archbishop Zumaraga the flowers fell to the floor revealing on the cloak fabric the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Also, during the fourth appearance the Virgin Mary told Diego that his uncle was fully recovered. On December 13^th the virgin also appeared to Diego’s uncle Juan Bernadino (the fifth apparition) who pleaded for his life. She instructed the uncle to inform the archbishop of his miraculous cure. A second miracle was performed when a man was mortally wounded on the neck by an arrow, the crowd took the wounded man to the Diego’s cloak and when the arrow was removed, he was completely cured.

That same image appears in our home, in the factories and fields of México, and most importantly in the hearts of her people.

Next: The Mexican Hacienda (and more)

This is a family heirloom. My mother bought this painting in a gallery in Mexico City and is our family treasure. The campesino in the painting is fondly referred to as Uncle/Tío Pedro, as a tribute to the family’s Mexican roots — Mike Ashe

Pictorial view of Mexico City shortly after the conquest of the Aztecs

Philip Wayne Powell had a scholar’s understanding of Mexico’s history as well as deep personal affection for it. In his great book, *Mexico’s Miguel Caldera* (pictured above) he tells of the clash between “Savagery and Civilization” and eloquently concludes, the peace that emerged to form a Mexican society was the work of men such as Caldera. If you have an interest in Mexico and in the contrast between Spain’s approach to the Indian problem and ours, you will be rewarded by reading Powell — RMB

Very few know about Mexico’s war against Christianity alluded to by Mike above. A recent film that addressed it is *For Greater Glory*, released in 2012 — RMB

A great John Ford film, though unsurprisingly under appreciated, is the 1947 adaptation of Graham Green’s *The Power and the Glory*, whose backdrop is Mexico’s fanatical persecution of Christianity in the early 20th century. The movie’s title is *The Fugitive* — RMB

Mexico’s Turbulent History — Part I: Human Migration

July 12, 2022July 12, 2022 Richard Barnes

My friend, Mike Ashe, has visited and lived in Mexico and has a keen interest in that great country. I happily took him up on his offer to share some of his knowledge and observations, which we will find of interest and of help to our understanding not only of Mexico but of all of Latin America — RMB.

Human Migration into Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) — Mike Ashe

Throughout human and animal history migration has always been the cornerstone of survival (following the food source). There are several theories positing one, two, or even three major Asian migrations during the ice age following game across the frozen Bering Sea.

Mexico was first populated more than 13,000 years ago by complex indigenous civilizations. The great Aztec empire was preceded by advanced civilizations including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, and Maya

The first known society (Olmec), settled on the Gulf Coast near what is now Veracruz.

Peopling included The Olmecs (southern Mexico), the Aztec (Mexica), Toltec, and Chichimec in the Valley of Mexico. Historically the northern and Baja regions of Mexico have historically had low populations of indigenous people including the colorful Tarahumaras, Yaquis, and Mayos.

The Tarahumaras (those who walk well) originally inhabited much of current state of Chihuahua but retreated to the high Sierra Madre Occidental and the Barranca de Cobre (Copper Canyon) region. The Tarahumaras currently numbering 70,000, are renowned runners (without tiring) and still follow the traditional lifestyle, living in caves and cliff overhangs). Nominally Roman Catholic their mythology is pagan and Christian. As a side, the Copper Canyon is four times the size of the Grand Canyon.

Where did the country’s name come from?

Several historical theories believe that the name Mexico has its origin in the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztec (Place of the Mexica) when Aztec nomadic tribes entered the Valley of Mexico.

Anahuac is another Nahuatl (close to the water) name referring to the altiplano lake in Tenochtitlan, formerly the capital of the Aztec empire, now Mexico City.

The Nahuatl language is dying out but is still spoken by many in the Veracruz area.

My mother would often say that the Mexican men in northern Mexico were larger than the men in the Altiplano and in the Maya region. Perhaps an answer by scientistic evidence that the northern region food source included a greater amount of animal protein from hunting and gathering, while the south and central regions lived a more sedentary life and at a greater rate of famine and disease. What is interesting is that the female stature did not vary at all between regions.

One common fact in ancient times is that life expectancy was low. The age of 15 was an important date since life expectancy ranged between 13 and 29 years of additional life with death coming between 28-44 on average. A subsistence life style along with the need for humans to build and move heavy burdens was very stressful on the bodies of the ancients. Mortality was very high; although I do not know how that compared to other parts of the world at that time, most likely was comparable.

With a low life expectancy there was the stress of maintaining and growing a population females had to be married before the age of 15 and 19 for males. Coupling was a challenge in areas of low population and not until agriculture improved, which led to towns and cities, did this condition change.

Rite of passage for girls (end of puberty and the initiation into young womanhood, called the Quinceañera, a Spanish culture/Roman Catholic tradition, was at 15 years of age). Its origin is not clear but the Aztecs and Mayans also had similar initiation ceremonies for girls.

The Aztec empire in the 1500’s was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all times. Civilizations like the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca all built pyramids to house their deities as well as burial chambers for their rulers. In Teotihuacan Mexico there are two large pyramids “The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon”. The Pyramid of the Sun is believed to have been constructed in 200AD and is one of the largest in Mesoamerica. Most travelers to Mexico believe that the great pyramids of Teotihuacan were built by the Aztecs; actually the builders most likely were the Teotihuacan. We used to climb both pyramids but understand it is now roped off to visitors.

In 1500 the Population of the Tenochtitlan (built on two islands on Lake Texcoco) was 200,000 comparable to the two largest cities in Europe: Naples and Paris. The total Aztec population in 1520 is estimated at 5-6 million.

When one jumps forward to modern times the countries’ Core Region occupied by the ancients still remains and includes; Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara, Veracruz, Leon, Puerto Vallarta, and Manzanillo

Living in Mexico City we would always end up in Teotihuacan (City of the Gods) and always learn something new there.

My brother-in-law, Chuy, and Cristy, my girlfriend at the time and later my wife, and I visited Cholula a Mayan Pyramid near Puebla. We were fortunate to be able to go inside some rather long/narrow tunnels where the archeologists/paleontologist were working. The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City houses the greatest Mesoamerican artifacts in the world and represents the country’s commitment to honoring its ancestral past. To this date not much is known about this pyramid since excavation ended about the time of our visit there. One thing is for sure it is the largest pyramid in the world including the great pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

Today the Cholula pyramid at first glance looks like a natural hill. The Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Remedios a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage destination, designated as a colonial monument, sits on top of it. It is doubtful that the pyramid will ever be excavated and restored due to the location of the Iglesia.

In about 2005 Cristy, our two oldest grandkids, and I visited her sister Toni in Merida, Yucatan. While in Merida we visited Chichen Itza built by the Mayans. El Castillo is the largest and most famous pyramid there. We climbed one of the pyramids but I do not remember which one. The site is by far the most interesting of all the ancient sites that we have visited. It includes the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Sacred Cenote (not an attractive Cenote).

As a side, the Yucatan is full of Cenotes. They are deep-water sinkholes that are fed by rain and underground rivers. In ancient times the Mayan source of fresh water were the Cenotes. In modern times they have become a popular tourist destination for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. They are amazingly clear. Toni’s daughters are avid Cenotes explorers.

We cannot leave the ancient world without looking at the Aztecs’ polytheistic religion and its demands on its people, including human sacrifices to satisfy their hundreds of gods but primarily four main gods: 1) Tlaloc (god of rain) 2) Huitzilopochtli (god of war and sun 3) Quetzalcoatl (most famous Aztec god means feathered serpent) god of civilization and 4) Tezcatlipoca (god of destiny).

All four gods were the children of Ometecuhtli. Some of these gods like Tlaloc can be traced back to the Olmec and Mayan civilization. The child god Quetzalcoatl represents the good and his brother Tezcatlipoca not so good, as some scholars believe.

The gods were depicted in very colorful images and are displayed in the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. There were both male and female gods; each were believed to control all aspects of human life including mainly the weather, agriculture, fertility, and war.

Tlamacazqui were the Aztec priests; they were responsible to please the gods in ceremonies, offerings, and sacrifices. Many scholars believe that during troubled times sacrifices were performed to honor the gods. Priests would open the chest of the victim/volunteer and offer the beating heart to the gods. Men women and children were all sacrificed based on which gods needed to be pleased. Their skulls were displayed in the temples as trophies to the gods. Recent DNA testing shows that the majority of those sacrificed were enemy soldiers or slaves. There are some wild estimates of the number of sacrifices per year which cannot be confirmed. The Spanish accounts served as the basis for many estimates but most seem exaggerated to many scholars.

Next: The Conquest of Mexico

Mexico is the eighth largest country by land mass in the world. Note the core region has not changed from when the first ancients entered it millenniums ago.

Ancient Olmec colossal heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. Note the similarity of features as compared to the modern-day descendant also pictured here.

The four Primary Aztec gods above were the Children of Ometecuhtli

Picture of the altar of The Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Remedios (Roman Catholic Church) that sits atop the Cholula a Mayan Pyramid near Puebla

Chichen Itza El Castillo pyramid. The phenomenon of Castillo occurs twice a year as the equinox sun sets, a play of light and shadows creates the appearance of a snake that gradually undulates down the stairway of the pyramid.

Chichen Itza ball court, there were 17 ball courts. Pok-A-Tok was played in these courts, which was a cross between soccer and basketball.

Chichen Itza Pyramid we climbed while visiting the site. They had ropes to aid in the ascent and descent!

Cenotes adventures in the Yucatan-The water is cool and refreshing, and fills the caves.

Mining Camp Memories — Foreword, Prologue, Chapter #1, and first part of Chapter #2

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 Richard Barnes

In recent months it has been my joy to have renewed acquaintances with one of the “big boys” who lived in El Pao in my early years. When I say “big boys” I mean he was a few years older than me during the phase in childhood where a few years might as well be an eternity! But we are members of the same generation.

Michael John Ashe II (Mike) came to El Pao as a little boy with his beautiful family in 1953, the year of my birth. I remember his sister and twin brothers, who were closer to my age back then, when even 2 years was a big deal.

It’s been great to have gotten back in touch with Mike, even if only through email.

He has graciously agreed to let me post his reminiscences in this blog, something which I will do over the coming weeks and months, with a few interruptions here and there.

His writings speak for themselves, but if I have something to add I’ll do so in parentheses identified by “RMB”

For now, I’ll only say that Mike’s family is a microcosm of the many families who came to El Pao and similar mining camps throughout South America in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The backgrounds varied greatly and the adventurous spirit was very high.

I know you will enjoy these.

Thank you, Mike!

Michael John Ashe II

Foreword

Personal Narrative of Living in a Mining Camp

Now in my seventies, I thought it be best to delve into my memories of a an extraordinary childhood adventure before they escape me.

Memories of Mining Camp living was akin to Time Traveling from a modern world to a far more basic and remote jungle life.

My parents, Herbert Carroll Ashe and Gloria McCluskey Ashe provided me with this great adventure to which I dedicate this humble accounting of our camp life together.

My grandmother Mama-Mary Ellen McCluskey I will always be thankful for her unconditional love.

To my El Pao classmate, Cheryl Serrao who suffered greatly from a genetic disorder that ended her life in her early teens. You are gone but not forgotten.

To Mike Ashley, Richard Barnes, and my wife Maria Cristina Ashe for their participation, help, and inspiration.

To my children and grandchildren, you are our greatest gift from God. Your love has always been unconditional and cherished by Nana and I. You have made us very happy. God bless you always.

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Mining Camp-Memories-from my childhood’s perspective (Risk Takers and Adventurers)

Prologue

Pat Korb and Mike Korb were kind to send me an audio interview of their life in El Pao (1969-1970) a mining camp situated 36 miles south of the Orinoco River in the state of Bolivar. This prompted me to prepare these series of short stories about my experiences in growing up in several mining camps but primarily in El Pao circa 1950s.

In the 1950s the State of Bolívar was sparsely populated. Cities and towns in the state included Ciudad Bolívar, Puerto Ordaz, Upata, San Félix, and Palúa. Ciudad Bolívar (aka CB) was the largest city and the state’s capital. CB’s population was less than 50,000 then and over 400,000 now. Palúa, Puerto Ordaz, Upata, and San Félix population I would estimate at less than 12,000. Now, a new city, Ciudad Guayana (formerly Puerto Ordaz, Palúa, and San Félix) population is about 1 million. The total population of the State of Bolívar is more than 1.4 million now. The country’s birth rate is one of the highest in the world. Needless to say, the State of Bolívar is a much different place now and most likely not for the best.

Pictures of Angel Falls — Water falls from a flat-topped top mountain (Tepuis) Auyan Tepui (Devils Mountain) in the State of Bolivar. The highest waterfall in the world which drops over 3000 ft. In the 1950’s and today, travel is limited to a fly by with a small aircraft. Dense jungle surrounding the falls and given its remoteness, the trip would be very risky. We never went there.

Chapter #1-Our First Mining Camp-Inspiration Arizona:

Before moving to Venezuela, Dad got a job working for an Anaconda Copper Inspiration Arizona, starting as a mucker (as a reference Inspiration lies between the towns of Globe and Miami). The company furnished houses for the workers. The only thing I can remember was that there was a stove in the middle of the living room that I got burned on. Inspiration was a very typical company-run camp at an altitude of about 3,500 ft located in a beautiful part of Arizona. The area was isolated from the rest of Arizona and was considered as the state’s frontier, mainly due to its proximity to the famous San Carlos Indian Reservation. The towns in the area remained frontier outposts well into the 20^th Century. Plenty of murders, lynching and really bad hombres. All of which was part of the lore of American Cowboy and the Western lifestyle. Even now Globe is considered to be the most dangerous city in Arizona. The western movies captured the conflicts and violence between settlers and Apache warriors like Geronimo and Cochise, but there were many others (notice how the bad guys were always the Indians maybe not a fair representation of history). They also captured the lives of colorful characters like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and Big Nose Kate (hands down the most colorful woman in the frontier west). I must say that the movies captured the most important stars- the beautiful western landscapes-John Ford’s work was the best.

Picture of Malachite Quartz and Blue ball Azurite from a mine in Globe.

In 1950 during a routine medical checkup, it was determined that Dad had a mass in his left lung, that needed to be dealt with. His doctor suggested that he go to Mayo Clinic (Rochester MN) since lung operations of this type were rare at that time. Actually, the operation they performed was one of the first lobectomy at Mayo. It was a brutal operation with a very large incision on his back (the procedure today is less invasive since it is done from the front). The left lung has only two lobes while the right has three lobes so they ended up removing half his left lung. Thankfully the mass was benign. My mother would always tell me to take care of Dad, as we might not have him around for too long, he ended up living to 91!

I had to stay with my Grandparents in Cananea Mexico (A mining town also operated by Anaconda where my grandfather worked) while my parents went to Mayo. My mother returned by bus to Cananea while Dad remained in the hospital recovering. Aunt Charlene was a nurse at Mayo and had just married my Uncle Don. Their honeymoon plan was to drive to Cananea but that did include Dad tagging alone. Dad would also be complaining about how much the incision hurt during the trip but Aunt Charlene always felt that he was milking it!

The drive from Inspiration to Cananea took about 5 hours so we would make the trip quite often which was particularly fun for me once we crossed into Mexico. The road from Naco to Cananea at that time was not paved and you would have to cross a series of arroyos (steep and not so steep gullies formed by fast -flowing water) most of which were dry or partially filled with water. There were no bridges so the cars would have to enter the arroyos. When it rained, we would have to wait until the water subsided in order to pass. For me the trip was always a great adventure. On one trip Dad and Uncle Don took me jack rabbit hunting. The jack rabbits would stand up on their hind legs which provided an easy target for the hunter. I think I was 4 years old at the time and my dad sited the rabbit and I pulled the trigger. I remember crying and was unconsolable on the way back to Cananea after killing and retrieving that bunny rabbit. At my uncle’s 90^th birthday he reminded me of that hunting trip which apparently left a long-lasting impression on both of us!

My grandparents house (owned by Anaconda) was located on a ridge just outside of town. There was a Baseball Park nearby where the Cananea Mineros played as part of the Arizona Mexico League Mineros and won the league in 1955/56. I was lucky to see Claudio Solano once, he played third base and hit over 200HR for the Mineros. Globe Miami Arizona Miners were also part of the league. Any time I would go to Cananea I would visit the park. The Cincinnati Reds were affiliated with the Yuma’s team in that league. I don’t think that the Cananea Mineros played ball after 1958?

There were about 8 company houses on the ridge where they lived and most folks had horses and barns out back. My grandparents didn’t have horses but raised fryer chickens as well as egg layers and turkeys. They had a maid for twenty years; her name was Anita A wonderful woman (anyone and everyone that knew her loved her) I remember she would be in charge of killing the chickens (ringing their necks). One thing for sure chicken/eggs were always on the menu.

Naco on the US side crossing into the State of Sonora Mexico

Both my uncle Don and Dad worked for Anaconda for a short time. I think both felt that opportunities were limited but it did end up giving both a good head start in their careers.

Chapter 2-Second Mining Camp-El Pao Venezuela

Infrastructure

The El Pao ore deposit was discovered in 1920. Iron Mines Company of Venezuela (IMCOV) a wholly owned subsidiary Bethlehem Mines was formed after WWII. In the late 1940’s IMCOV began Engineering Procurement and Construction of the El Pao ore deposit and supporting logistics facilities 1) Rail 36 miles/Locomotives /Gondola Cars used to transport ore to Palúa, 2) two port facilities a river port at Palúa (capable of holding 850,000 tons of ore and seaport at Puerto de Hierro and 3) a fleet of river ore carriers.

Sparrows point shipyard in Baltimore Maryland built 6 ore carriers for IMCOV. The ore carrier Punta Anamaya was the first of eventually five sister ships that were built for the Iron Mines Company of Venezuela. These small ships, each 381-feet long and 64-feet wide were expressly designed and built for service on the Orinoco River in Venezuela to haul iron ore from Palúa to Puerto de Hierro (8,500-ton capacity) and then to be transshipped by ocean-going ore carriers (26,000-ton Capacity) primarily to Plants in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Sparrows Point, Maryland. IMCOV also maintained an office in Caracas (capital of the republic) to interface with the Venezuelan Government.

I’d see them in port at Palúa and on the Orinoco. I would always be amazed at how big and beautiful they were.

Just the logistics of getting equipment through the jungle was a monumental task not to mention the amount of planning and engineering supporting this major undertaking which was extremely expensive. Potable water from the Caroni, Fuel to Run the Electric Generator at all locations, not to mention the camp and ports’ housing roads and infrastructure. Don’t know if the returns justified the investment?

Puerto de Hierro IMCOV Deep water port in the state of Sucre.

(Will continue with next section: “Moving In”)

Which is it?

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 Richard Barnes

The Indian worker is poor, but he is free. His condition is preferable to that of the peasant in great parts of northern Europe …. — Alexander von Humboldt, circa 1800

… y el pobre en su choza, libertad pidió [And the poor man in his hovel, for freedom implored.]. — Venezuelan National Anthem, 1810

Well, which is it?

This blog has often referred to Humboldt (see Monster Aguirre and The Invention of Nature for but two allusions; the search bar will direct you to more). Humboldt was no royalist; he did not even pause for an irony alert to ponder that “modern”, progressive France denied him permits to travel for scientific inquiry, whereas obscurantist Spain did.

Nevertheless, he recognized that the poor in pre-revolutionary Spanish America were free and many were prosperous. He wrote that a Mexican peasant under the Spaniards earned five (5) times more than a peasant in India under the English. He further discovered that Nueva España (Mexico) provided twice more to Spain’s treasury than India, with 5-times the population, did to England’s. During his visit to Spanish America, Venezuelans consumed 189 pounds of meat per capita, compared to 163 pounds by Parisians. Mexicans consumed 363 pounds of bread per capita compared to 377 by Parisians. Miners earned 25 to 30 francs per week compared to 4 to 5 francs by Saxons.

Esquivel Obregón, a Mexican, wrote that a wage earner in his country could buy 38 hectoliters (a hectoliter is 100 liters) of corn and 2,300 kilograms of flour in 1800, but only 24 and 525, respectively, in 1908, after “independence.” These are not isolated figures, but they do signal the catastrophic decline of Spanish America’s standard of living and reflect the desolation caused by the “chimera of liberty”.

But no need to rely on a Humboldt or an Obregón. What did Simón Bolívar himself write in 1829, a year before he died?

“From one end to the other, the New World is an abyss of abomination; there is no good faith in [Spanish] America; treaties are mere paper; constitutions, books; elections, combat; liberty, anarchy; life, a torment. We’ve never been so disgraced as we are now. Before, we enjoyed good things; illusion is fed by chimera … we are tormented by bitter realities.”

So one must wrestle with the fact that “the poor man in his hovel” most certainly was not imploring for freedom. He was free and prosperous.

Much, much more was going on at the time, but the overarching canopy was the French Revolution and its atheistic concepts which sought to disparage all that went before, including one’s own history. A 19th century Colombian diplomat wrote perceptively,

“In the codices [Spain was notorious for documenting everything. These codices are treasure troves for those willing and able to research largely unread tomes waiting to be rediscovered] known by me, the history of the Conquest and of the vice-royalty was recorded…. Three centuries of a patriarchal empire whose glories were echoed in palaces, pulpits, taverns, Indian colloquiums, and in royal audiences…. Then the violent winds blew and our ship ran aground on the Oedipus reefs where the desire to assassinate the fathers, to destroy the moorings of common ethics and religion which bound diverse cultures and civilizations to one tongue, one culture, and one loyalty to common principles, exalted the passions and drove men to madness.”

That diplomat went on to say, “…the degree of destruction and depopulation experienced in these lands compares with my vehement desire that someone, one day will love the Truth enough to divulge what I have observed and written.”

Readers of this blog know that I love Venezuela, the land of my birth. It is a land of heartbreaking beauty and one that has absorbed many rivers of blood since the early 19th century and is even now suffering greatly. The way back to sanity, prosperity, liberty, and peace begins with the Truth.

Readers should also see significant parallels to current events in the United States. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, addressed similar matters as were addressed by that Colombian diplomat, including the need for a common religion and common culture to bind together diverse peoples. The current, unbridled rush to deny anything good in our founding, and especially to denigrate our common religion, is very similar to the temper which became prevalent in Spanish American elite circles in the early 1800’s.

In both, Truth is the first casualty and all else follows, beginning with ordered liberty.

To restore and preserve our ordered liberty, we must recover and speak the Truth. Pilate tarried not for an answer when he asked, “What is truth?”, but turned away from Truth Personified, Who stood before him.

Unlike Pilate who inquired and did not await for a reply, we must do differently.

And the Truth will set us free.