PART ONE...
reviews the system of
feudal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, their conquest
by North African Muslims (the Moors,) and their repatriation
and unification under Ferdinand and Isabella in the
late 1400s.
In 1519, Hernan Cortez arrived to conquer and destroy
the Aztec, Mayan, Inca and Toltec cultures; and to establish
New Spain. The next 300 years saw the exploitation of
the colony by the Spanish Crown, as the church, the
military, and civil authorities competed for position.
We also examine the social and political pecking order
based on race and birthright.
After several unsuccessful
independence efforts, there was finally established
- in 1821 - The Republic of Mexico. This was followed
by a quarter-century of political chaos, and even more
years of repeated armed revolution. Part One ends in
the 1860s with the French conquest of Mexico; their
ultimate expulsion; and the execution of the hapless
'Emperor' Maximillian.
PART TWO...
shifts the focus to the story of those Mexicans who
had become Americans by the early 1850's. We examine
Arizona’s territorial period, the labor movement, literacy
laws, illegal deportations, and the growth of “anti-Mexican”
attitudes, generally. Particularly poignant are the
personal accounts of discrimination during the 20th
century suffered by individuals who later emerged as
state and national leaders.
Scattered throughout the program is a series of vignettes
reflecting the Hispanic contribution to American culture,
music, art, dance, and language
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![[INDIAN]](http://historyaz.com/indian.jpg)
