Mexico City (capital of New Spain)

Timeline

1. 1521–1524Old site of Tenochtitlan (today's Zócalo, Mexico City) · Mexican PlateauOn August 13, 1521, conqueror Hernán Cortés led Spanish troops and allies such as the Tlaxcalans to capture the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan; the last emperor Cuauhtémoc was taken prisoner. The Spanish planned a grid city on the same site: centered on the Zócalo, they built the cathedral and viceregal palace from the ruins of the Templo Mayor, filled in the shores of Lake Texcoco to expand the urban area, establishing the basic layout of the New Spain capital.
2. 1535–1570Mexico City (seat of the Viceroyalty of New Spain) · New SpainThe Viceroyalty of New Spain was formally established in 1535; the first viceroy Antonio de Mendoza resided in Mexico City, which also became the seat of the Audiencia. Cathedral construction continued, and orders such as the Jesuits and Dominicans founded colleges; the city's dual status as ecclesiastical and colonial administrative center was established, and the silver mint began operating, striking Potosí silver into circulating coinage exported to Europe.
3. 1621–1630Mexico City · New SpainBetween 1621 and 1630 Mexico City had a population of about 100,000–150,000, the largest European colonial city in the Americas. The city integrated a diverse social structure of Spaniards, Creoles, mestizos, indigenous Nahua, and enslaved Africans; the grand cathedral was still under construction, and the mint struck millions of pesos annually from Potosí and Zacatecas silver; Manila galleon cargo was overlanded from Acapulco here and then shipped to Seville; the viceregal court also governed vast colonies including Central America and the Philippines.
4. 1821Mexico City · MexicoAfter Mexican independence in 1821, Mexico City remained the national capital, alternating between monarchy and republic. Modernization accelerated during the Porfiriato at the end of the 19th century, and in the 20th century it grew into a megacity with a metropolitan population of over 20 million, continuing to dominate Latin America in culture, economy, and politics.