Colonial-era Mexico City

Timeline

1. 1521–1550Mexico City · MexicoAfter Cortés's conquest, the city was rebuilt on the ruins of Tenochtitlan on a Spanish grid plan; the viceregal government of New Spain was established in 1535, becoming Spain's administrative and religious center in the Americas.
2. 1571–1580Mexico City cathedral and Inquisition · MexicoIn 1571 Philip II decreed the establishment of an Inquisition tribunal in New Spain, headquartered in Mexico City; meanwhile the metropolitan cathedral continued construction, as the city's religious authority and colonial control system were strengthened in tandem.
3. 1580–1700Mexico City · MexicoDevelopment of silver mines such as Potosí made Mexico City a hub for silver flowing to Seville; with a population over 100,000, universities, printing houses, and trade guilds flourished, making it one of the largest cities in the Western Hemisphere.