RSS Feed
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Travelers' Club news The eighth meeting of the 101st year of the Babylon Travelers' was held at the home of Nancy Calabrez. The study of Mexico continued with a paper entitled Mexican Heroes by Jessie Twohill. In depth study of Hernando Cortes revealed aspects of his treatment of the native Indians which were less than heroic. He was born in 1485 in Medellin, Spain and studies law at the University of Salamanca. This was an advantage to him in his later dealings with the authorities in Spain, Cuba and Mexico. He arrived in Mexico in 1519 and was involved in the exploration of that country until approximately 1528. His attempts to Christianize the Indians had been unsuccessful. When Marcos ce Aguilar was appointed governor of Mexico he exiled Cortes who sailed to Spain to appeal to Charles V. Cortes had been accused of murdering his first wife. He died on December 2, 1547 at age 62. His memory is not revered in Mexico today. His grave has been changed eight times to avoid destruction. a bitter end to a promising career of an explorer." The early 20th Century gave birth to two Mexican heroes. The first, Emiliano Zapata, one of the most outstanding national heroes of Mexico was reported on by Kerry Riddle. To many Mexicans, specifically the peasant and indigenous citizens, Zapata was a practical revolutionary who sought the implementation of liberties and agrarian rights. His goal was achieving political and economic emancipation of the peasants in South Mexico and leading them out of severe poverty.
The second Mexican hero from that period was Lazaro Cardenas, president from 1934-40, reported on by Charlotte Olsen. He too implemented rights for southern Mexico and made agrarian reform a hallmark of his presidency. He supported labor unions, nationalizing 17 U.S. and British oil companies after which foreign businesses learned to obey Mexican law. During his presidency the rate of illiteracy fell significantly, life expectancy improved, and peasants and workers were organized and given a voice in politics.
|
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||
