College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2026-04-28 12:34:43
Major
History
Honors Course
HIST 492
Number of Credits
3
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Date of Expected Graduation
Fall 2026
Abstract
When the Spanish landed in what is now Mexico in the early sixteenth-century, religious figures on mission trips took it upon themselves to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity and to the European way of life. The role of these missionaries was complex. They wanted to abolish the way of life of the societies they encountered, but they were also some of the most prominent defenders of the people they were trying to convert. They lived with them, learned their languages, advocated for their protection, and some supported indigenous efforts to preserve their history in writing. Ultimately, this paper aims to use the partisan sources available, many of them from these missionaries and the indigenous authors they collaborated with, to present a cohesive but accessible history of Mexico’s colonization, the parties involved, and the depth of its impact on the lives and cultures of the diverse people who lived it. It aims to do this while addressing the complexity of the global, local, and individual politics that exist under empire, especially those to do with race and religion, and the ways in which these factors influence historical study.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Martha Santos
First Reader
Dr. Alexis Ortiz
Second Reader
Dr. Michael Levin
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Michael Levin
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Community Engaged Scholarship
No
Recommended Citation
South, Aziren, "Rebuilt from the Same Stone: Religion and Colonization in Sixteenth-Century Mexico" (2026). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 2142.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/2142
Comments
Formerly titled: “Perspectives on Indigenous Culture: A Comparative Analysis of Religious Writings in Sixteenth-Century Mexico“