Francisco del Paso y Troncoso facts for kids

Francisco del Paso y Troncoso (born October 8, 1842, in Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico – died April 30, 1916, in Florence, Italy) was a famous Mexican historian, archivist, and expert in the Nahuatl language. He is known as one of Mexico's most important researchers of his time. He was highly respected by other experts around the world.

Early Life and Learning

Francisco del Paso y Troncoso, often called Paso y Troncoso, went to primary school in his hometown of Veracruz. Later, he moved to Mexico City. When he was young, he spent most of his time working in business. However, he also found time to study at the National Preparatory School. He finished his studies there.

One of his teachers was likely Don Gabino Barreda. Francisco first planned to become a doctor. Towards the end of his medical studies, he wanted to write his final paper on the plants and traditional medicines used by ancient Mexicans. This research made him so interested in history and archaeology that he changed his focus. He started studying old documents from both Indigenous and Spanish writers from the 1500s. Because of this change, he did not get his medical degree.

His Work and Discoveries

Francisco del Paso y Troncoso soon became very interested in the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztec people. His work became closely connected to the National Archaeological Museum. In 1889, he became the director of this important museum. During 1890 and 1891, he led a big archaeological exploration in the state of Veracruz.

Working in Europe

In 1892, there was a big event to celebrate 400 years since Europeans first arrived in the New World. Francisco del Paso y Troncoso was chosen to lead the Mexican team for the American Historic Exhibition in Madrid, Spain. He kept his job as director of the National Archaeological Museum in Mexico. He traveled to Spain in August 1892. Francisco del Paso y Troncoso stayed in Europe until he passed away. He worked very hard in archives and libraries across the continent.

For almost 24 years, he researched outside of Mexico. During this time, he helped publish many important documents and works that had never been seen before. These documents were very important for understanding Mexico's history. He wrote many letters, showing he was always in touch with cultural groups and experts in Mexico and other countries. They all shared an interest in the same historical research.

Using materials from libraries and archives in Mexico and Europe, Francisco del Paso y Troncoso made big contributions to the history of the Conquest-era and Colonial Mexico periods. He found, organized, and published many important historical documents and original writings. Many of these collections were later used by historian Charles Gibson in his 1964 book, Aztecs Under Spanish Rule. This book showed how important Indigenous people were in Mexico's colonial history.

Awards and Memberships

Before 1884, Francisco del Paso y Troncoso was chosen as a member of the Mexican Academy of Language. In 1893, he became a member of the Royal Academy of History and the Spanish Association of Writers and Artists. In 1895, he was made an honorary member of the Pontifical Roman Academy of Archaeology. He also became a correspondent for the Paris Societe des Americanist. In 1898, he received an honorary membership diploma from the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.

His Legacy and Impact

Francisco del Paso y Troncoso is a very important person in Mexican history writing. He worked tirelessly to find old writings in archives in Mexico and all over Europe. He was known as the most knowledgeable Mexican expert of his time. However, he published only a small part of what he collected. This was because he spent so much time carefully editing and adding notes to the original texts. Some of his works were published after he died by others. These later editions were sometimes not as accurate.

However, Mexican historian Silvio Zavala did a great job editing and publishing 16 volumes of Francisco del Paso y Troncoso's letters. This collection, called Epistolario de Nueva España, was published between 1939 and 1942.

See also

In Spanish: Francisco del Paso y Troncoso para niños