Curtin Chapter 5

Curtin asks in chapter 5 how integrated plural societies came to be. He focuses on Mexico and the integration of Spanish culture there. The conquest of the Americas started much earlier then the conquest of say South Africa. The "Amerindian cultures...gradually accepted cultural elements from their European neighbors in a process often called acculturation." (Curtin 73) The Spanish Conquest of the Mexican region began in the 1520s and ended in 1570s. The Spanish rule over Mexico ended in the early 1800s. The Spanish had the most influence in Central Mexico where Euro diseases made the most impact, and the most Spanish missionaries were situated. The acceptance of Christianity in Mexico also played a key role in the acculturation. The Amerindians were able to more easily accept Christianity because it didn't fully break all of their other core beliefs. The Spanish had small minority groups in Mexico which it used mainly as administrators and soldiers. However, eventually small communities of farmers, merchants... came to be. Many Hispanic Indians joined these communities. About the same amount of Europeans came to Mexico as other plural societies like Central Asia or South Africa. The high birth rates of the European immigrants, and the natural decrease of Native Americans, led for the two populations to join together. This new Mexican culture was much more integrated then in places like South Africa and Central Asia.

Why did the same type of thing happen in North America?