In central and southern Mexico there are fundamental characteristics that deserve to be highlighted from the beginning. The size and distribution of Indian peoples before the arrival of Europeans had an enormous effect on the development of Mexico. Differences in the historical development of central and southern Mexico and the rest of North America stem largely from the dense concentration of Indian peoples in the highland valleys of Mexico. The Spanish had a huge role in changing the native peoples of Mexico not only politically and culturally. The timing of colonization also had a huge fundamental influence on its development. Spain brought its most important legacy to Mexico, the Reconquista. It was an 800-year process to “reconquer” the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim control. This helped define the social and economic models introduced in Mexico. Along with the reconquest, Spain was filled with a Renaissance drive towards knowledge, wealth and power. They attempted to recreate as accurately as possible the life of the medieval lord with his titles and power based on ownership of large landholdings and control over subordinates and servants. This was only made possible thanks to the large population of Indians who lived in the area. They were the ones who did the heavy lifting and built the new society so that the Spanish could achieve their goals. Unlike central and southern Mexico, the northern part had a smaller Indian population, and the harsh climate and wide open spaces helped develop a completely different culture. This section has been a land of opportunity for much of its history. Canada was in a different position regarding development. The French created a seigneurial state... out of paper... like Quebec, English Canada was much more inclined to reform. The power of the Catholic Church has been essential in the fight to preserve traditional culture. When change came, it came quickly to Quebec. In the 1960s the revolution calmed down, in which traditional values and lifestyles gave way to a new secularism that reduced the power of the church. Quebec in society, work and politics has become very similar to the rest of Canada and the United States. There were many influential moments across North America that helped him become who he is today. I only mentioned those the book talks about, writing about all the moments would be a book long. It's amazing to see how one action has such a major effect on not just one country but all three. North America has had many similarities in its development but also many differences.
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