Stream the 4-part series now with KPBS Passport / Watch "The War of Independence" episode Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 11:30 p.m. on KPBS TV
The Spanish Conquest laid the ground for 300 years of colonial rule which made Spain the richest country in Europe and divided Mexico with a class system that still affects today's society. After the conquest, Mexico became the world's largest producer of silver which fueled Europe's trade with Asia.
Meanwhile, conquistadors and friars spread out along so called "royal roads" which linked with the desert frontiers of the north, attempting convert Apache and Comanche tribes who would battle Spaniards, Mexicans and Americans for centuries.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: "The Spanish Conquest" - The Spanish Conquest laid the ground for 300 years of colonial rule which made Spain the richest country in Europe and divided Mexico with a class system that still affects today's society. After the conquest, Mexico became the world’s largest producer of silver which fueled Europe’s trade with Asia. Meanwhile, conquistadors and friars spread out along so called “royal roads“ which linked with the desert frontiers of the north, attempting convert Apache and Comanche tribes who would battle Spaniards, Mexicans and Americans for centuries.
Episode 2: "The War of Independence" - The War of Independence charts the violent struggle by Mexicans to break free, the subsequent loss of almost half of its territory to the U.S., and the resulting decades of instability that followed. Examine the initial uprising led by revolutionary priests Hidalgo and Morelos, who both lost their lives as a result, and the role played by one of Mexico's most controversial characters, General Antonio López de Santa Ana.
Episode 3: "Civil War: Church versus State" - The conflict between church and state led to civil war and a French invasion which made an Austrian prince, Maximillian, emperor of the so called Second Empire. He was defeated and executed by Benito Juárez, one of Mexico’s great independence heroes who himself was succeeded by Porfirio Díaz, who would rule Mexico for more than 30 years.
Episode 4: "The Mexican Revolution" - The final episode explores the Mexican Revolution in the early part of the last century — another hugely bloody event, but one which achieved the foundations of a modern Mexican state with the myriad cultures we know today. The episode also examines the roles of revolutionaries Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Venustiano Carranzas and Álvaro Obregón, who were all assassinated; the subsequent eruption of violent religious conflict called the Cristero War; and the nation-building of the Cárdenas government that followed. The fusion of art and politics in the revolutionary era was epitomized by the iconic muralism developed by artists such as Diego Rivera.
Watch On Your Schedule: EMPIRE BUILDERS: MEXICO is available to stream now with KPBS Passport, a member benefit that unlocks exclusive shows and extra content on the PBS app.
