Excerpts from La Tierra Caliente de Michoacán by José Guadalupe Romero, 1854

Translated from the Spanish by Roberto Hope

Taken from "El Trópico Michoacano, Hombres y Tierras"

Published by Sidermex  in 1984

Translator’s note: 

Michoacán is the name of one of the Southern states of the Mexican Republic, bordering with the State of Guerrero on the East, the Pacific Ocean on the South, the States of Colima and Jalisco on the West and the States of Mexico, Querétaro and Guanajuato on the North. When Mexico was a part of Spain, Michoacán was a vast territory covering, in addition to what is now the state of Michoacán, most of its surrounding states. The Northern part of the state because of its altitude enjoys temperate weather but the Southern region, bordering the Pacific Coast, is hot, humid and less populated. Since the time of the Conquest, the Michoacán region was known for its gold and, soon thereafter its mines were being exploited by the Spaniards. In our days, gold, iron, and other minerals are being extracted in the region.

The original article was written in January, 1853, a quarter of a century after the end of the Mexican war of independence. This means that the author was born when Mexico was still a part of Spain, ruled by a viceroy named by the Spanish emperor. So, the author was able to compare how most Mexicans lived under the viceroyship with how they lived under a republic.

The Torrid Region

On purpose have I left for the end the information on the towns and population of the hot region of Michacán because of their being so different from those of other climates, as well as in types of products, customs, and even in languages, because the moral state in which they now are is worse than that they had enjoyed at the time of Spanish rule, because from the independence to our days, having been destroyed and deeply demoralized by the continued revolts in the nation, the civil governments have not promoted a single material improvement or established a new school or a new hospital, at the same time, the number of priests has been reduced (theJesuits been reestablished in Mexico in 1814 but deported again in July 1820 - translator’s note TN) and the spiritual needs of this unfortunate people have not been properly satisfied. In vain has the Most excellent Bishop Portugal (Juan Cayetano Gómez de Portugal y Solís, Bishop of Michoacán, who was the first person in America to be named Cardinal but the notice of his designation arrived in Michoacán a few days after his death - TN) spent immense amounts of money to establish a school in the midst of these torrid and deadly regions; in vain did the Most illustrious Monsignor Munguía (Clemente de Jesús Munguía, successor of Bishop Portugal as Bishop of Michoacán,- TN) tried to establish a convent in Tsintsunsan to form missionaries to transmit the light and morals to the population of those regions and for the propagation of the faith; all these efforts made by the Church have been unfruitful because of our civil discords, Time is ripe to direct a compassive look at over one hundred and five thousand disgraced people who live in those regions; time is ripe to develop the plentiful and diverse sources of wealth that exist in the region, to try to diminish their pains and  make them participate in our social enjoyments.

The Franciscan religious were the first to enter this region, baptizing the Indians, but they later reduced themselves to cold and temperate zones. The Augustines and secular clerics founded the towns, built roads, and established what is good and useful in those places. Despite these efforts, little could be advanced in civilizing those people during the time of Spanish rule, but after our independence everything that had been built in three centuries of patient effort, abnegation and constancy on the part of the evangelical workers is being destroyed.

It is a pity to see the backwardness in which these people live, both in religious and in moral knowledge. Nowhere would it be so convenient to establish a seminary as in this region.

The town of Ario suffered greatly because of the revolution of 1810; the parish church and almost all urban buildings were set on fire then; its commerce, which had been flourishing before, decayed after the independence, until it became null in 1822.

The  Spanish Government had ceded the town of Tacámbaro as an encomienda to Cristóbal de Oñate (whose descendant, Juan de Oñate, explored and colonized the region of New Mexico - TN) who requested from Father Juan de San Román some religious to evangelize the Indians of the town of Tacámbaro. In 1538 the Augustinians came to this town and conducted the first solemn baptism  of thousands of neophytes in the days of Easter; founded a convent, built the parish church and established a priory.

The spiritual conquest of the people of the town of Zitácuaro (name which in the Tarasco native language means place of resurrection - TN) was due to the Franciscans; the parish was founded by the Most Illustrious Vasco the Quiroga (first bishop of Michoacán and famous for his Christianization and protection of the Indians, modeled on Thomas More’s Utopia, as well as for his promotion of indigenous crafts, for his founding of hospitals, schools and workshops for the Indian population; his legacy survives to these days in that region). Zitácuaro owed its material progress to an image of Our Most Holy Mother, that used to be visited in pilgrimage from all towns in the region and still continues to our days. The origin of this image is as follows: The encomendero of Tajimaroa (another town in Michoacán), Don Juan Velázquez de Salazar, brought this image of the Virgin from Peninsular Spain towards the end of the sixteenth century and passing through Zitácuaro donated it to the Franciscan Religious, to have them place it in the parish church. Don Manuel de Santa Cruz, a wealthy and fortunate miner who had obtained  great bonanzas from his enterprise, built the beautiful sanctuary that still exists.

Conclusion

The historical and statistical information I have just presented manifests the admirable effects that Catholicism produced in all of New Spain and especially in the Diocese of Michoacán. Bishops, religious and clergy have been seen to enter in the midst of barbaric and ferocious peoples with no other weapon than the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ that they carried in their hands; Indian families have been seen grouping together around them; temples being erected; schools being established; customs been mellowed; the restless and turbulent nature of these people being transformed. The successors of the first apostles, having inherited the wisdom, charity and zeal of their illustrious predecessors have continued that civilizing activity with a generous effort; they have been seen courageously making close alliances with the oppressed people, defending their liberties and interests, protecting the weak, resisting the strong, intervening with munificent power against all disorders, all disgraces, all perils; they have been seen laying down and founding towns, uniting wandering tribes, having Indians come down from the hills, teaching them religion, agriculture, arts, trades, sciences and literature; these apostles have been seen learning over sixty languages, subjecting these to grammatical rules and making use of these means to make men, to which God was mute, know Him, obey His law, and learn the way He wants to be worshipped, showing them all the spectacle of the universe; they have been seen founding universities, colleges, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and as many institutions as can improve the condition of man; they have been seen founding abundant and perpetual charities to relieve all the miseries resulting from age, from disasters, from passions or from the crimes of men; they have been seen not satisfying themselves with favoring their contemporary generation but to advance to the future and meet calamities that did not yet exist; with the most magnificent generosity they have been seen clearing forests, fertilizing deserts, building roads, drying swamps, building lakes, building aqueducts, building bridges, erecting the best buildings in towns and creating solid and permanent resources; they have been seen keeping public peace for over three hundred years (unfortunately in the 21st century this region is noted for its drug cartels, astonishingly being protected by the López Obrador and succeeding government - TN), extinguishing domestic discords, promoting and carrying out all types of material, intellectual and moral improvements; they have been seen opposing with saintly firmness but with admirable prudence and charity the introduction of all errors, the introduction of all anti-social and dissolving doctrines, to all attempts to invade and assault their property and the legitimate liberties of the people; and, lastly, suffering persecutions with docility and preparing themselves to repair the devastations in a time of madness (like, for instance, the war against the Cristeros in the late twenties and early thirties of the twentieth century).