Puebla archives

The Puebla Archives consist of legal manuscripts relating to the church and state affairs of the Mexican state of Puebla covering the years 1567-1904. The state capital, also called Puebla, is one of the oldest and most picturesque cities of Mexico. In 1537, the Jesuits founded the College of the Holy Ghost, which is now a university. Puebla is known as a city of churches and has an outstanding ancient cathedral constructed between 1552 and 1649. A theater, built in 1790, is claimed to be the oldest on the continent. The state of Puebla is largely mountainous (average altitude 7000 feet) and occupies part of the central portion of the Mexican plateau. Across the center extends the volcanic belt, which includes on Puebla's border three of the highest peaks in Mexico: Pico de Orizaba, Popocatepetl, and Ixtachihuatl. Primarily an agricultural area, there is some mining of gold, silver, and copper. The state contains many archaeological sites of pre-Columbian and pre-Aztec origin; the most famous is the Pyramid of Cholula.

Major and minor events in the history of Puebla are recorded in the manuscripts. Subjects documented include: estate claims; reorganization of the postal system; a prison escape; bondsmen and loans; colonial, state, and national taxes and customs duties; election of Indians to local government posts; violent domestic relations including adultery, concubines, incest, maltreatment and drunkenness; pulquerias and pulque (a fermented drink) sales; treatment of Indians; governmental orders and directives; proceedings of criminal and civil cases; land and water rights; hacienda livestock; and the health system.