Mexico History Trivia

1. The Olmecs were Mexico's first great pre-Columbian civilization, reaching their zenith in c. 900 BCE. In which geographical region of Mexico did they flourish?

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec, at its narrowest point, separates the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean by a mere 124 miles. Before the Panama Canal opened in 1914, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec provided an alternative trade route for goods from Europe and the North American Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific coast and Asia. A British engineering and construction company finally succeeded in spanning the isthmus with a railroad in 1907, but it was soon made obsolete by the Panama Canal. The Olmecs, known primarily for the giant carved basalt heads they created, flourished in the steamy lowlands of Tehuantepec adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico in what are the modern day states of Veracruz and Tabasco. They are regarded as one of the first true civilizations in the Western Hemisphere.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: October 2, 1968

On July 22, 1968, a fight started at a college football game. The police invaded both universities, followed by the Mexican army, and remained there until October 1. A day later, horror would fill the country.

From Quiz Mexican History

Answer: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

He was born in Guanajuato in 1753. A "criollo" (of mainly Spanish descent), he became a priest in 1792 and came to practice his ministry in the parish of Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo). Along with other liberals, he fought for the independence of Mexico in 1810. He was ambushed in 1811 and executed on July 30th of that same year.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: Teotihuacan

The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon were important centers of religion and ritual sacrifice for the people of Teotihuacan. Looters and the ravages of time have obscured the exact purpose of the massive Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest ancient pyramid in the world. The Pyramid of the Moon is situated at the end of the Avenue of the Dead and is believed to be the altar of ritual sacrifice in honor of the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan, a deity responsible for fertility and water. The Teotihuacan culture reached its peak in 450 AD with city of Teotihuacan reaching a population of over 125,000 inhabitants. This made it the largest settlement in the Americas, and the first true city in the history of the Americas.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: The Olympics

Ironically, the 1968 Mexico Olympics were named the "Olympics of Peace". At the opening demonstrators waved black handkerchiefs shaped like a pigeon to protest against the killings.

From Quiz The Mexican Inquisition

Answer: apostolic inquisition

Although the bishop presided over a diocese these types of procedures were called apostolic because they were operated by clerics under the control of the bishop as chief prelate of the diocese.

From Quiz Spanish Conquest: Mexico

Answer: Geronimo de Aguilar

Doña Marina initially only spoke Nahuatl, the language of the Mexica (Aztecs) and a dialect of Maya. Before she learned Spanish, Geronimo de Aguilar's knowledge of Maya allowed him to translate between Doña Marina and Cortes. He learned Maya after being shipwrecked on Cozumel Island for seven years.

From Quiz Mexican History

Answer: September 16th

On 16 September 1810 Mexico declared independence, but this was not recognized by Spain till September 27st, 1821 (that is, 11 years after the fight for independence started); May 5th is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla; and November 20th, 1910 saw the beginning of the (internal) Mexican Revolution.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: Astronomical observatory

El Caracol was named for the spiral staircase found inside the structure. It is believed that the Mayans built it to give them an unobstructed view of the night skies above the tree line of their jungle home. Mayan understanding and measuring of astronomical events rivaled, and in some cases surpassed, that of their European counterparts, even though they lacked even rudimentary telescopes. Mayan urban planning was usually based on the alignment of specific buildings to coincide with periodic astronomical events such as the equinox and the solstice.

From Quiz More Tales of the Pyramid

Answer: Lime plaster and painted murals

While there is not much remaining of the Pyramid of the Sun's finish, it did consists of a stucco made of lime plaster that was decorated with painted murals. Archaeologists believe that it took 100 years and over 1.1 million cubic-meters of adobe mud and brick to build the Pyramid of the Sun. It has been estimated that over 60,000 square meters of stucco would have been used to finish the exterior of the pyramid.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: Gustavo Diaz Ordaz

At the time, Luis Echeverria was the head of the Ministry of Interior (SEGOB or Secretaria de Gobernacion), and he became the President in 1970. In 2006, a Mexican Federal Judge placed Echeverria under house arrest for the crime of genocide. It was the first time in the history of Mexican justice that a former President was punished; but he was later released.

From Quiz The Mexican Inquisition

Answer: Fray Juan de Zumárraga

All four men were famous Franciscan friars involved in 16th century missions to convert the indigenous inhabitants of New Spain. Zumárraga was consecrated bishop in 1533. Motolinia, Sahagún and Torquemada all wrote chronicles of their experiences which have preserved some record of Nahua (Aztec) culture and society as it existed in their time. All three also learned and spoke Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec Empire.

From Quiz Spanish Conquest: Mexico

Answer: trade and explore

After conquering Cuba, Diego Velasquez had secured the right to lead future conquests on the mainland. Consequently, he did not want other Spaniards like Cortes and Grijalva to engage in conquests. Therefore he only granted licenses to trade and explore in order to gain more information on the region in preparation for a future attempt to be led by himself.

From Quiz Mexican History

Answer: Agustín de Iturbide

Iturbide was crowned the (constitutional) Emperor of Mexico on July 21st, 1822 and forced to abdicate on March 19th, 1823. He went into exile and returned to Mexico on July 15th 1824, landing in Soto La Marina, Tamaulipas were he was arrested and shot in the small village of Padilla. Both Moctezuma and Cuitláhuac were Aztec emperors, not Mexican; and Maximilian of Habsburg was the second Emperor of Mexico - and he didn't last long either.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: Toltec

The Toltecs were a large civilization which was based in central Mexico during Europe's Dark Ages. At its peak their capital at Tula, in modern day Hidalgo, controlled most of central and southern Mexico. The monoliths, dubbed "Atlantean figures" by European archeologists, are roughly fourteen and one half feet in height and weigh in at eight tons. The figures are believed to represent the order and discipline required by social codes of this bellicose expansionist civilization.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: Plaza de las Tres Culturas

Also known as "La Plaza de Tlatelolco" (The Square of Tlatelolco), the 'Square of the Three Cultures' was the scene of the tragedy. The building was home to the headquarters of the SRE (Secretariat of Foreign Relations) until 2005.

From Quiz The Mexican Inquisition

Answer: 1571

In 1571, the Mexican Inquisition was officially founded, although it was not established in the colony until 1572. It borrowed procedures from the existing Spanish Inquisition, and like the Spanish Inquisition it was overseen by the king of Spain who had the power to appoint his inquisitors pending papal confirmation.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: The Mayan god of wind and storms

Huracan was one of the three principle deities of the Maya and was believed to be involved in the creation, destruction, and subsequent recreation of the Earth. Appeasing this god was of great importance to the Maya as they inhabited a flat lowland jungle particularly vulnerable to tropical storms. The English word hurricane is derived from Huracan, but in Maya it translates to One Leg. Huracan is often depicted with one human leg and a serpent as his other limb.

From Quiz More Tales of the Pyramid

Answer: Unknown

While there are many theories about the use of the Pyramid of the Sun, there simply isn't enough evidence of any sort that will allow archaeologists to reach a logical conclusion. The easiest explanation, perhaps, is that it was used as a temple, since it is known that the city itself was an important religious center. Eight primary deities were worshiped there and it is believed that the leaders of the government were also religious leaders. It is thought that at one time an altar was constructed at the top of the pyramid, however, there just isn't enough evident to confirm any of the modern theories about the use of the Pyramid of the Sun.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: The military (army)

It is said that a helicopter threw two flares and the soldiers thought it was the students attacking them. They opened fire, starting what would be a day that would stay in the country's memory forever.

From Quiz Mexican History

Answer: May 5th, 1862

This is the date of the famous "Battle of Puebla" or "Cinco de Mayo". Due to the large debts to several European nations that Mexico had gained from its independence, the Mexican American War and the internal revolts; France, Spain and England invaded the country. After realizing that France intended to add Mexico to its Empire, Spain and England withdraw leaving the French to install Maximilian of Habsburg as Emperor with the aid of Mexican conservatives. The French army (consisting of some 6,500 men) encountered resistance at the forts of Guadalupe and Loreto where they were defeated by the largely untrained troops (4500 men) of General Ignacio Zaragoza thus putting an end - though only temporary - to the invasion.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: Zapotec

The Zapotecs controlled the Oaxaca Valley in south central Mexico for over a millennium starting in 400 BCE. Their exquisite architectural masterpieces can be seen today near the modern city of Oaxaca de Juarez. Mitla is known for its precisely cut masonry structures which have withstood earthquakes, flood, and war despite lacking mortar or any other material to bond the stones together. Monte Alban is best know for its well preserved "ball court" where warriors and athletes competed in a game involving a stone hoop and a rubber ball, not unlike modern basketball.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: 200-300 people

Sadly, approximately 300 people died, although the government reported at first only 40-50 deaths. Witnesses who were there as protesters say they saw certainly more than 50 bodies.

From Quiz The Mexican Inquisition

Answer: verify truthfulness

In early modern criminal institutions, both secular and religious, torture was seen as the only way to absolutely verify if a statement was true. However, it was generally only used when the testimony of the accused changed between interviews or was vastly different from other witness testimony. For the Inquisition the punishment imposed on the guilty party served as penance for the crime and led to absolution and reconciliation with the church.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: Hummnigbird

Huitzilopochtli (the left-handed Hummingbird) was a key deity in the Aztec pantheon representing the Sun and war. He is believed to be the last and smallest of four sons born to the Aztec creators, Tonacatecutli and Tonacacihuatl. His name is a compound Nahuatl word; huitzil meaning hummingbird, and opochtli meaning left-hand side. It is not clear to modern scholars why this god was given such an imaginatively specific name.

From Quiz More Tales of the Pyramid

Answer: Obsidian

Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, is found all over the world. The oldest evidence of its use in weapon making dates to 700,000 BC, and was found at an archaeological site in Kenya named Kariandusi. Early knappers liked to use obsidian for their points because it could be broken very easily to create the most bodaciously nasty sharp serrated edges on their weapons. In Mesoamerica obsidian was used as a trade good; there is even evidence that it was so valuable that wars were fought over it! Check out the obsidian "tecpatl" knives that the Aztecs used to cut out their sacrificial victims' beating hearts! Human figures made of obsidian have also been found at the Pyramid of the Sun.

From Quiz Mexican History

Answer: Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

When her husband, the "corregidor", found out she had passed information to the insurgents, he kept her locked in their house.

From Quiz Pre-Columbian Mexico

Answer: Tenochtitlan and Lake Texcoco

Tenochtitlan was the political, economic, military and religious center of the militaristic Aztec Empire. Founded in the fourteenth century, the city initially occupied a large island just off the western shore of Lake Texcoco. As the city grew, it expanded to smaller neighboring islands, and rapidly grew to a population of over 200,000 at the time of the Spanish Conquest. An intricate network of canals allowed small barges and rafts to transport people and goods to every corner of this floating city. The lake today is drained down to a gelatinous strata of mud which causes some buildings in modern day Mexico City to slowly sink below the street level on which they were built.

From Quiz More Tales of the Pyramid

Answer: Ocelot

In the ancient Aztec language, the word "ôcçlôtl" actually meant jaguar, an animal that represented one of eight deities that were believed to have been important in Teotihuacan. There is evidence, however, that ocelots were sacred among some Mesoamericans as well. While the two animals may be similar in appearance, the jaguar is considerably larger than an ocelot and has rosette markings rather than the stripes, spots, and rosettes of an ocelot. So why was the discovery of the Teotihuacan Ocelot significant? Mostly because it was one of a very few artifacts found in the Pyramid of the Sun. Made of alabaster, the ocelot has a depression on its back. Some archaeologists believe that perhaps sacrificial hearts were placed there, but there really is no basis to this theory.

From Quiz A Dark Day: The Massacre of Tlatelolco

Answer: Fiscalía Especial para Movimientos Sociales y Políticos del Pasado

The "Fiscalía Especial para Movimientos Sociales y Políticos del Pasado", Spanish for "Special Secretariat for Social and Political Movements from the Past", was created by President Vicente Fox in 2005. This organization was the one who ordered the arrest of Echeverria.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:05 AM

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