Latin American History

Struggle for Mexican Independence

Background to Mexican Independence  The land that is now Mexico fell into Spanish hands in August 1521 when Hernán Cortés and his army of conquistadors toppled the Aztec empire, ushering in three centuries of colonial rule and importing new diseases that decimated once‑flourishing native populations. Under orders from the Spanish king, Charles V, Cortés founded […]

Battle of the Alamo

Early History of the Alamo Spanish settlers built the Mission San Antonio de Valero, named for St. Anthony of Padua, on the banks of the San Antonio River around 1718. They also established the nearby military garrison of San Antonio de Béxar, which soon became the center of a settlement known as San Fernando de […]

Mexico Timeline

From Ancient Mesoamerica to the Toltecs c. 8000 B.C.The first human experiments with plant cultivation begin in the New World during the early post‑Pleistocene period. Squash is one of the earliest crops. This agricultural development process, which continues slowly over thousands of years, will form the basis of the first villages of Mesoamerica (including Mexico […]

Cinco de Mayo

Ever wonder why May 5th is celebrated in the U.S. and Mexico? Get the full story.

Ask HISTORY: What does it mean to “draw a line in the sand”?

Where does this common expression come from? Get the full story.

This Day in History Video: What Happened on October 9

The Mariel Boatlift: How Cold War Politics Drove Thousands of Cubans to Florida in 1980

After Fidel Castro loosened emigration policies, some 125,000 Cubans landed on U.S. shores over a span of five months.

Why the Bay of Pigs Invasion Went So Wrong

Before the break of dawn on April 15, 1961, a squadron of eight B‑26 bombers piloted by Cuban exiles roared down a Nicaraguan airstrip on a secret mission. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and President John F. Kennedy hoped the Bay of Pigs Invasion would result in the overthrow of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. But the operation […]

The Epic Motorcycle Trip That Turned Che Guevara Into a Revolutionary

Before Che Guevara became a Marxist guerilla commander, before he became a revolutionary icon emblazoned on T‑shirts, before he was even known as “Che,” there was a buddy, a bike and an epic road trip that would change the course of his life and world history. In December 1951, 23‑year‑old Argentine medical student Ernesto Rafael […]