40
votes
Accepted
Why was the Spanish kingdom in America called New Spain if Spain didn't exist as a country back then?
‘Spain’ in the sense of ‘Hispania’, alluding to the Roman province, certainly existed as a concept at the time, even if the Kingdom didn’t (yet). Indeed, there’s several medieval Kings in the Iberian ...
- 1,256
35
votes
Accepted
Why did Germany officially acknowledge the contents of the Zimmerman telegram?
Arthur Zimmerman appears to have been trying to avoid being blamed by the German press and politicians for bringing the USA into the war. Placing your personal interests ahead of those of your country ...
- 31.4k
29
votes
Why did Mexico encourage the settlement of Texas by Americans?
When Mexico won its independence in 1821, it covered an area from Central America northward to California, Utah, and Texas. In fact, Mexico in 1835 was just about as large as the United States at the ...
- 6,269
18
votes
Did the treasure ship Cortes first sent from Mexico ever arrive in Spain?
Did it, after all, arrive in Spain and deliver its treasure to King Charles?
Yes, but...
It wasn't exactly a treasure ship. Not like the treasure ships that would come later. It was more of a down-...
- 54.9k
15
votes
Why did Mexico encourage the settlement of Texas by Americans?
After Mexican independence much of northern Mexico, infact most of many parts of Mexico, were devastated and sparsly populated. These northern areas were hard to defend against both indian incursions ...
- 6,445
12
votes
Accepted
When was the concept of the "border wall" between the United States and Mexico first proposed?
SHORT ANSWER
Physical barriers along the US-Mexico border have been erected at various points since at least 1918. Most of these, though, were short and often not maintained. The first major proposal ...
- 108k
10
votes
Why did Germany officially acknowledge the contents of the Zimmerman telegram?
President Wilson revealed the existence of the telegram to the press on 28 February 1917. The press published the story the next day 1 March 1917 (and remember that Berlin is 6 hours ahead of ...
- 77.4k
9
votes
Why didn't the United States occupy Baja California during the US-Mexican war?
"California" (at the time), consisted of three distinct regions:
1) A decidedly "Anglo" dominated area around the then-capital at Sonoma (modern northern California).
2) A "mixed" Anglo and Spanish-...
- 104k
8
votes
Accepted
Why didn't Russia seize California when it could?
It was horribly too far away.
One thing is stablishing some minor settlements and trade activities, and a very different one is conducting a military expedition.
Siberia was not developed to support ...
- 12.4k
8
votes
Who decided on the name "Mexico"?
Your question appears to be based upon a false assumption:
As far back as 1590, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum showed that the northern part of the New World was known as "America Mexicana" (...
- 1,004
7
votes
What was the main food source in old California?
As Ben Crowell observed above, while the missions produced grain and legumes, the rancho economy was extremely focused on cattle production. Californios were rich in products made from leather, tallow,...
- 27.6k
7
votes
Accepted
From which Russian-American Company ship did Osip Volkov defect to Mexico?
According to pg 317 of the Book California Through Russian Eyes, by James R Gibson,
...while hunting sea otters from the Ilmena, he either jumped ship or
was captured by a Spanish patrol.
The ...
- 38.7k
7
votes
What hard, physical evidence is there that Davy Crockett actually died at the Alamo?
The most reliable record is to be gained by cross-examining all the primary sources about this event and seeing where they are in unanimous agreement. This is the case when interpreting Crockett's ...
- 441
7
votes
What campaigns did the Mexican army fight against American Indians in the North?
David Weber in The Mexican Frontier (1982) suggested that the best English-language source on the Mexican conflict with northern tribes is a 1963-1972 series of articles by Ralph A. Smith in the ...
- 27.6k
7
votes
What mesoamerican culture used long, "pike-like" spears?
Bernal Díaz del Castillo obliquely compared spears of the Chinantec people to pikes (at least in translation -- I didn't check the Spanish original) and remarked that they were longer than the ...
- 27.6k
6
votes
Who was the first foreigner to be naturalized as a Mexican citizen?
Piecing together some thin threads, I can argue that someone was naturalized prior to that date.
All colonists were expected to become naturalized Mexican citizens, and they were also supposed to ...
MCW♦
- 32.4k
6
votes
Accepted
How were native laborers on California ranchos treated?
To make the answer short not very well. Their treatment under the ranchos was pretty much the same as their treatment under the Missions. The articles mentioned they were paid in goods and alcohol, ...
- 6,445
6
votes
Was Pablo Vicente de Solá married?
Yes.
In California Through Russian Eyes, 1806–1848, on page 158, there is a discussion of a celebration being held in honor of the Tsar's birthday. Entertainment in the form of dancing and singing ...
- 38.7k
6
votes
Why did Mexico encourage the settlement of Texas by Americans?
Mexico probably encouraged Anglo settlement in Texas for the same reason that Spain had done so earlier: they couldn't get anyone else to go.
Weber says in "The Spanish Frontier in North America&...
- 27.6k
6
votes
How long did it take mail to get between Madrid and Mexico?
It looks like around 7-8 weeks ship time. See update below. (Inserted new info at top, ahead of the background info on the avisos ships and routes.)
--- UPDATE ---
Finally found actual info on the ...
- 38.7k
6
votes
Why did Germany officially acknowledge the contents of the Zimmerman telegram?
Zimmerman's actions reflected the style of his boss, Kaiser Wilhelm II. This was a blunt, heavy-handed "take no prisoners, make no apologies approach" that the Kaiser displayed in crisis after crisis; ...
- 104k
6
votes
Accepted
Did the US try to buy California before the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
The short answer is 'Yes'.
The initiative was taken by James K. Polk who sent an envoy, John Slidell, in November 1845 following Mexico's severing of diplomatic relations with the US. Referring to ...
- 108k
6
votes
When did Mesoamericans stop using their native weapons?
The wiki entry on Macuahuitl has an interesting paragraph on their drawbacks, which likely answers your question implicitly:
The macuahuitl had many drawbacks in combat versus European steel swords....
- 23.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Why did the First Mexican Empire replace 60% of its Regency?
Your question seems to imply that the Regency membership was under the influence or control of Iturbide, but according to Bancroft, at this later time these seats were reorganized by the Congress, who ...
- 38.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Where was the Ixcanha Maya community located during the Caste War of the Yucatán?
Descriptions of the location of this group are confused. Not only was their population modest, the spelling varies, and there are few landmarks in the jungle. Probably it is the Xcanhá shown on the ...
- 27.6k
5
votes
Were any Californios able to hold on to their ranchos?
1900 presents one dominant challenge, time. 54 years after the last land grants were given. There wouldn't be a lot of original deed holders alive by 1900. The ranchos were intended to be used for ...
- 101
5
votes
Accepted
Who was the first foreigner to be naturalized as a Mexican citizen?
I cant for sure say the first person to be made a citizen, but I do know that Benjamin Milam was made a citizen in 1824.
"...Trespalacios, now prominent in the new government also, made overtures ...
- 6,445
5
votes
Why Californian Indian leader Estanislao was named after Polish martyr?
Estanislao was baptized on 24 Sep 1821 by Father Buenaventura Fortuny. The father baptized at least 108 natives during 1821, and over 2300 in total. He had officiated for another Estanislao earlier in ...
- 27.6k
5
votes
How many people lived in the Mexican territories annexed by the US?
I can only find figures excluding Indians. According to Weber's The Mexican Frontier, California had 7,300 in 1845, and New Mexico had 65,000 in 1846. Texas in 1846, according to the Texas State ...
- 27.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible