From meadows to crops: historical transformation of the exploitation of the territory of the Hacienda de San José Puruagua (Mexico)
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the society-environment relationship on a micro scale, in the territory of the San José Puruagua hacienda, Guanajuato (Mexico). It focuses on the processes of colonization, occupation and exploitation of the so-called « northern territories » between the beginning of the 16th century and the end of the 19th century. For this purpose, we have carried out a thorough study and systematic comparison of cartographic sources, administrative documents and field information. The collected data were integrated into a Historical Geographic Information System to create cartographic interpretations, which demonstrated the mutual influences exerted by human societies and the environment. During the 16th century, low human density favoured the distribution of land to Spanish settlers. The presence of large expanses of grassland and salt marshes, as well as the absence of agricultural structures, favoured the development of livestock farming. This activity continued until the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, when the plains were covered with hydraulic works to encourage the cultivation of cereals. At the same time, the sources attest to the exploitation of the timber resources of the Puruagua mountain range from at least the 18th century, with an intensification during the 19th century.