Monterrey - History

Discovered by Europeans in the 16th century. Between the years 1530 and 1577 it is believed that Alvaro Nunez Cabeza and Andres de Olmos reached the land in Central America. In 1577 Alberto del Canto discovered 'El Valle de Extremadua" where the modern city of Monterrey is now located. He also discovered "las Minas de Gregorio, now known as Cerralvo, and "las Minas de Trinidad", now Monclova.

On the 31st of May in 1579, Luis Carvajal, serving the King of Spain, Felipe III, explored over 800 kilometers of land from Tampico to the border of La Nueva Galicia. Carvaljal arrived in Tampico on the 25th of August in 1580. In 1582 he founded the city of Leon, now known as Cerralvo. In the year 1584 he left his cousin, of the same name, to govern this area. Unfortunately during this period there were difficulties and the new governor was tried by the King's representatives for trading with blacks and suspending Christian worship, theft and destruction of property.

Monterrey fell in 1846 - War between Mexico and the United States broke out in 1846, and Monterrey fell. The next year the U.S. Army entered Mexico City, and in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, forcing Mexico to cede its land north of the Rio Grande. This area, called Texas since early Spanish colonial times, as well as present-day Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado and Oklahoma-- was larger than today's entire country of Mexico. '' The just nominated--thus reborn--general-in-chief of Mexican army, General Pedro Ampudia, has marched towards Marín to personally recognize the land-to this point-and to take control of the forces that will defend Monterrey. General Torrejón stays in charge of the cavalry based there.

General Ampudia comes back to Nuevo León's capital. The Mexican army holds its defence lines, but only General Ampudia knows what crosses his mind. The American army watches the fluctuations of its enemy from Cerralvo. The tense war situation has been combined with a change in the defence duties. Gathered in a meeting, the brigade chiefs order to abandon the fortification duties carried out between the Ciudadela and Cerro del Obispado, but they will continue--they decide--the ones in the referred points and the tenery. Soldiers and people accept the changes, but their tiredness is evident. In key decision moments, Mexican generals change their plans, abandon fortificated sites, order and disorder. In Papagayos, the first explorators of the American army appears. They are the vanguard's vanguard. The American troops had left behind Cerralvo and advance rapidly. In a shy shooting during their march, they've got evidently close to Marín.
The Americans continue their march. The Mexican cavalry decide to evacuate Marín and cross San Juan river. At night, General Taylor troops' camp on Agua Fría ranch. Mexico parties during the night, celebrating its independence.