Hidalgo

Named for the revolutionary leader Miguel Hidalgo, the state is fiercely independent: The Mexican Revolution lasted longer in this state than in any other. Today, Hidalgo relies on extensive silver, gold and mineral deposits to fuel its economy. La Huasteca, a fertile lowland region covering the northern part of the state, produces some of Hidalgo’s chief crops, including sugarcane, corn, oats, barley, wheat, beans, chilies, coffee and fruits.

Early History
Throughout the pre-Columbian era, the Hidalgo region was predominantly under the influence of the city of Teotihuacán (in the modern state of Mexico) and, to a lesser degree, the Tajín culture (centered near Veracruz). After the collapse of Teotihuacán in the 8th and 9th centuries, the city of Tula (or Tollán) in Hidalgo emerged as the capital of the Toltec Empire. According to legend, a Toltec chief named Mixcóatl led his tribe into Hidalgo from the northwest. His son, Topiltzin, founded Tula in southern Hidalgo around 950 A.D. Conflicts broke out between those who worshipped the peaceful Quetzalcóatl and those who followed the warlike god Tezcatlipoca. Topiltzin, an adherent of Quetzalcóatl, was expelled from the city around 987. He is believed to have set sail from the Gulf Coast in a raft, vowing to return one day. Many legends arose about his journeys.

During the height of Tula’s power, between 900 and 1100, the city encompassed some 13 square kilometers (five square miles) with around 60,000 inhabitants. By mid-12th century, Tula collapsed due to internal strife, and the survivors spread out to settle lands as far away as Yucatán. In 1156, the Otomí and Chichimeca Indians occupied Tula, calling it Namenhí(place of many people). They, in turn, fell to the Mexica and were incorporated into the Aztec Empire by Moctezuma Ilhuicamina in the 15th century.

Middle History
In his quest to conquer the Aztec empire, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés entered Hidalgo in 1520. The following year he besieged and destroyed the nearby Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, establishing Spanish authority in the region. By mid-century, Spanish settlers introduced to the area cattle, new crops and the Catholic faith preached by Franciscan missionaries.

Beginning in 1552, rich silver deposits were discovered in the vicinity of Pachuca and Real del Monte, spurring a new wave of Spanish settlement. A few years later Bartolomé de Medina perfected the amalgamation method of extracting silver using mercury and copper plates, which rapidly became the dominant technique in the Americas. As mining activity escalated, the settlers increasingly relied on encomiendas, royal grants authorizing individual Spaniards to require labor from a specified number of native inhabitants placed under their authority. In 1717 the Spanish crown abolished the encomienda system, confirming the decision with additional decrees in 1720 and 1721. In practice, however, many Spaniards ignored the decrees and continued to force the indigenous population to work the mines.

The many rich mines around Pachuca made it the center of activity during Hidalgo’s colonial period, and much later it would become the state’s capital. Its name is thought to have come from the Náhuatl word Patlachiuhacan, meaning place of silver and gold.

Recent History
In the early 19th century Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest in the town of Dolores, Guanajuato, began to advocate Mexican independence from Spain, rallying the state’s patriots and parish priests in support of the cause. In 1810, he raised an army of more than six thousand men and led them to several victories. Although Father Hidalgo was later captured and executed by royal troops, his movement continued, leading to Mexico’s independence in 1821. The state of Hidalgo was later named in his honor.

In 1861 President Benito Juárez suspended payments on Mexico’s foreign debts; the French responded by invading the country the following year, occupying it from 1863 to 1867. After the French were finally expelled and the Mexican Republic restored, Hidalgo became a separate state in 1869, taking its name from the hero of Mexican independence, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.

Although political conflict did not disappear, the presidency of Porfirio Díaz (1877-1880 and 1884-1911) brought a period of relative stability, with government policies focused on modernizing the nation’s railways, roads and communications. However, opposition mounted to Díaz’s autocratic methods, and in 1910 the Mexican Revolution broke out under the leadership of Francisco I. Madero. The following year, Madero’s followers occupied Pachuca, Hidalgo’s capital, and engaged Díaz’s troops in battles throughout the state. After Díaz abdicated and left the country in May 1911, Madero was elected President.

In 1917 a new federal constitution put political and economic restrictions on the Roman Catholic Church in response to claims that the church had abused its power. Conflict between the government and the church seethed during the 1920s and eventually erupted into a struggle known as the Cristero War. The fighting claimed 90,000 lives before it was finally resolved by negotiations that relaxed some restrictions on the church. The most important provision allowed the clergy to regain control of their land and buildings, although the facilities technically remained federal property.