Monterrey, capital of Mexico.

[Silent Cal]

What POD would be required for Monterrey in Nuevo Léon to be the capital of Mexico instead of Mexico city?

My first assumption would be a more northerly Mexican border, which would make sense as then Monterrey would be in a more central position than Mexico City. But what would it take for Mexico to resist US encroachment?

 

[SlyDessertFox]

A fractured US?

 

[eliphas8]

I really don't see why central positioning will matter much, Mexico city is still the biggest city in the country and it just kind of makes sense to have the capital be there, the only other candidate for a capital I could think of would be Veracruz.

 

[Deleted member 43582]

You would need to have the spanish go full genocide on the indians and not only ensalving them/killing them with desaeses. If Tenochtitlan is completely destroyed THEN there is an option to choose a new capital. Mexico would probably depend more from Spain and be more european similar to OTL uruguay and Argentina.

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

You would need to have the spanish go full genocide on the indians and not only ensalving them/killing them with desaeses. If Tenochtitlan is completely destroyed THEN there is an option to choose a new capital. Mexico would probably depend more from Spain and be more european similar to OTL uruguay and Argentina.

There were alternative locations to place the capital. It was either Coyoacan or Tlacopan, both cities in the Valley of Mexico close to Lake Texcoco. It was a far too important region to not place your capital in. It was where a large chunk of the Mexican Indian population was located at and it was the former power center of the Aztec Triple Alliance. It was a lot easier building off existing power structures and subverting for Spanish aims than building from anew.

 

[Deleted member 43582]

There were alternative locations to place the capital. It was either Coyoacan or Tlacopan, both cities in the Valley of Mexico close to Lake Texcoco. It was a far too important region to not place your capital in. It was where a large chunk of the Mexican Indian population was located at and it was the former power center of the Aztec Triple Alliance. It was a lot easier building off existing power structures and subverting for Spanish aims than building from anew.

Thats what I was trying to say. You would need to basicaly desimbowel aztec society and destroy the entire valley to have monterey become capital. And point post the conquest there is no way the capital is moved away from the valley.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

In the past there was occasional discussion of Queretaro being made capital. It's a little bit more northerly than Mexico City, and it indeed was interim capital after the Americans occupied Mexico City in 1847.

 

[Vault boy]

Unfortunately, it just can't be done, unless you genocide the whole Mexico Valley from all the Indians, or if the city-states in the area decide to deny victory to the Spaniards and their allies by destroying their own city. With that, Monterrey could grow, but it would be more like another administrative capital.

Monterrey as Capital... I'm drooling...

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

Thats what I was trying to say. You would need to basicaly desimbowel aztec society and destroy the entire valley to have monterey become capital. And point post the conquest there is no way the capital is moved away from the valley.

Can the Spaniards even kill the entire Aztec population? It's a tall order. At most, they could just destroy Tenochtitlan and leave Lake Texcoco to reclaim it and force the survivors to move elsewhere but extermination of the Aztecs is hard indeed.

Anyways Monterrey was founded in the late 1500s so this is just me ranting for no reason. Anyways perhaps and just perhaps the Spanish colonial authorities realize that it's too much work keeping Mexico City from floods and earthquakes (for the latter I do not know much about but I know Mexico City suffered from floods until they filled up the lakes) so perhaps the Spanish decide to go for Monterrey?

 

[edmarmota]

In the past there was occasional discussion of Queretaro being made capital. It's a little bit more northerly than Mexico City, and it indeed was interim capital after the Americans occupied Mexico City in 1847.

In the draft of the 1857 constitution there where a proposition for change the federal district to queretaro or aguascalientes, as they are near the geographical center of the country, and maybe better defended against and invasion. An again was revived in the discussions of the 1917 constitution.

 

[Grey Wolf]

A massive eathquake taking out Mexico City at a time when central government is vitally important (eg in the middle of a war) so that the government moves to a new location, which eventually becomes permanent.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[ramones1986]

In the draft of the 1857 constitution there where a proposition for change the federal district to queretaro or aguascalientes, as they are near the geographical center of the country, and maybe better defended against and invasion. An again was revived in the discussions of the 1917 constitution.

Wow... I didn't even know that.

 

[Sevarics]

Maybe have a Civil War where the victorious party is based out of Monterrey and the loser out of Mexico City and they decide to move the capital to Monterrey permanently? Mexico invites Member of Spanish royal family to be Emperor of Mexico and they accept back in the early 1800s... Later on a republican movement based out of Monterrey starts and spreads and when they win, they keep the political center there rather than being associated with the monarchy?