Carmelita Torres and the 1917 Bath Riots

Posted March 16, 2020 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

Fear of a pandemic led to drastic measures at the border. A Mexican maid said, “No.”

The Unpriestly Life of Father Servando Teresa de Mier

Posted February 16, 2020February 17, 2020 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A rebel priest who escaped prison 7 times, he played an important role in creating the nation of Mexico.

Yucatán, USA; A State That Almost Was

Posted January 6, 2020 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

In the mid-19th Century, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula almost became a possession of the United States.

Opata Kingdoms of the North

Posted October 27, 2019October 27, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A complex civilization existed in the deserts of Sonora. Who were the Opata?

John Dee’s Magical Mexican Mirror

Posted September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A 16th Century English philosopher and seer possessed an interesting Aztec artifact.

Gaspar Yanga and the Mexican Slave Revolt of 1609

Posted September 1, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

In the early 1600s, an escaped slave rebelled against Spain and created an independent self-governing region in Veracruz.

The Young Cortés: Life Before the Aztecs

Posted July 28, 2019July 29, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

Many people know little about the young life of the man who would change history.

The Final Days of the Tarascan Empire

Posted July 1, 2019July 1, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

The story of one of the most complex and little-known civilizations in ancient Mexico

Juan Chávez, Legendary Mexican Bandit

Posted June 17, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A little-known rural outlaw rose to legend status during his own lifetime in 19th Century Mexico.

Chichimeca: Warriors of the North

Posted April 22, 2019March 21, 2021 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

This fiercely independent people repelled the Aztecs and the Spanish. Who were the Chichimeca?

Kingo Nonaka, “The Mexican Samurai”

Posted March 11, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

An unknown Japanese-born medic played an important role in the Mexican Revolution

Does Alaska Belong to Mexico?

Posted February 25, 2019 Robert Bitto2 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

Vague treaties and claims leave some people wondering if Alaska isn’t even American.

The Pastry War, 1838-1839

Posted February 10, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

The ransacking of a French bakery outside Mexico City prompted a reaction from France: It invaded Mexico.

The Tragic History of the House of Texcoco

Posted January 28, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A dynasty of a small ancient Mexican kingdom managed to survive upheavals & tragedies

Guadalupe Island, Kingdom of Goats

Posted January 14, 2019 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

Mexico’s westernmost possession has a fascinating, little-known history.

William Walker & The Republic of Lower California

Posted September 24, 2018 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

An American upstart tried creating a country for himself in northern Mexico.

The Child Heroes and the American Invasion of Mexico

Posted July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 Robert Bitto2 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

Rather than surrender to the Americans, 6 brave cadets fought to their deaths in the 1847 Battle of Chapultepec.

Isla Bermeja, Mexico’s Disappearing Island

Posted May 21, 2018 Robert Bitto3 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

The strange death of a Mexican senator, Big Oil, pirates, the CIA & a missing island.

The Great Maya Book Burning

Posted May 7, 2018 Robert Bitto1 CommentPosted in Little-Known History

In 1562 a Franciscan friar serving in the Yucatan burned thousands of Maya artifacts including dozens of books.

The Border Wars, 1910-1919

Posted February 12, 2018 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A hot/cold state of war existed between Mexico & the US in the early 1900s

Afro-Mexicans, a Hidden Heritage

Posted January 22, 2018August 3, 2025 Robert Bitto4 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

The legacy of Africans in Mexico goes back 500 years.

The Pirates of Campeche

Posted December 11, 2017 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

The largest pirate fleet in history laid waste to a Mexican city in 1663.

Tenamaxtli and the Mixtón War, 1540-1542

Posted November 6, 2017November 6, 2017 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

An indigenous uprising in 1540 threatened the Spanish Empire’s hold over Mexico.

Ana María, Forgotten Empress of Mexico

Posted August 28, 2017 Robert Bitto3 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

Lost to history, Empress Ana María is unknown to most Mexicans today.

The Republic of the Rio Grande

Posted July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

For a brief time an independent nation existed between Mexico and Texas.

The Mayan Cult of the Talking Cross

Posted June 26, 2017 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

A strange cross found in the jungle helped fuel a Maya resistance movement.

Doña Bernarda’s Kitchen Table

Posted May 22, 2017May 23, 2017 Robert Bitto2 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

A Mexican matriarch’s little-known role in the end of the Mexican War is still being felt today.

Lee Harvey Oswald in Mexico City

Posted May 8, 2017 Robert Bitto6 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald spent 5 days in Mexico weeks before the assassination. Why?

Bring me the Head of Pancho Villa

Posted April 3, 2017March 28, 2023 Robert BittoLeave a commentPosted in Little-Known History

In 1926 someone robbed the grave of Pancho Villa and stole his head. Who? Why?

William Lamport, Mexico’s Irish Would-Be King

Posted February 19, 2017April 29, 2018 Robert Bitto2 CommentsPosted in Little-Known History

A brilliant Irish adventurer almost won Mexico’s independence from Spain in the 1640s.