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Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Mexico, 1928
New York State Archives, NYSA_A3045-78_13300
Document Description
The old Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, in Mexico City, 1928.
Questions
What is a basilica?
What are the people doing in front of the basilica?
Is this a good place for a market? Why or why not?
Why is Christianity the major religion in Mexico today?
Do you think the Spanish missionaries should have converted the Indians to Christianity? Why or why not?
Historical Challenges
Describe one of the religions that was practiced in Mexico before Christianity.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Math: If the basilica in the photograph was completed in 1709, how old is it? How long did it take to build?
Science: What caused this building to sink into the ground? Why are other buildings in Mexico City also sinking? Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem.
English Language Arts: Write a paragraph or a poem about your religious beliefs or about values you think are important.
Resources
Goodwin, William. Mexico (Modern Nations of the World). San Diego: Lucent, 1999.
Heinrichs, Ann. Mexico (A True Book). Danbury: Children's Press, 1997.
Jermyn, Leslie, and Mary-Jo Reilly. Mexico (Cultures of the World). New York: Benchmark, 2002.
About this Activity
Lesson Topic:
Historical Context
Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism, is the religion of the vast majority of the Mexican population. The religion was brought by Spanish missionaries who worked to convert natives to Christianity. In the 1500s alone, more than 100,000 churches were built in New Spain (which is what the Mexican territory was called at the time). Many churches built by missionaries during Spanish rule are still standing.
The old Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or Bascilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, in Mexico City was constructed from 1531 to 1709. It was built near the place where legend says Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Aztec convert to Christianity, saw the Virgin Mary in 1531. A new basilica was built from 1974 to 1976, because the old basilica was sinking into the ground. The old basilica in the photograph has been repaired and is open to the public again.
Essential Question
How does movement of human populations influence the development of culture?
Check for Understanding
Describe the building in the photograph and explain the role of exploration in the existence of this building.
