Bicentenary of Mexican Independence (1821-2021): Some aspects of the development of chemistry in the Mexica-Hispanic time, the viceregal period and the national beginning.

Abstract

Relevant chemical aspects of the Mexica-Hispanic time (1519-1535), of the viceroyalty (1535-1821), and of early Mexico (1821-1850) are discussed. Chemical flourished simultaneously in the interrelated institutions Royal Botanical Garden and Royal Mining Seminary, founded in the viceregal capital in 1788 and 1792, respectively; Alexander von Humboldt spread this flourishing. In early Mexico, the story of discovery of erythronium (vanadium, V) by the Hispanic Mexican Andrés Manuel del Río y Fernández continued, iron foundries were built and there was a chair of Chemistry at the School of Medicine (1845) in Medicine-Surgery and Pharmacy degrees.