José Antonio Villaseñor y Sánchez facts for kids
José Antonio Villaseñor y Sánchez was a very smart person who lived a long time ago, in the 1700s. He was a geographer, a historian, and a mathematician in New Spain. New Spain was the name for the lands that are now Mexico and parts of the United States, ruled by Spain back then.
José Antonio was born in San Luis Potosí, México. He went to school at San Ildefonso in Mexico City. He first worked as an accountant, which means he handled money and records. Later, he became the official cosmographer of New Spain. A cosmographer was someone who studied and mapped the world, like a geographer.
The king of Spain wanted to know more about New Spain. So, the king's representative, a leader called Viceroy Pedro Cebrián, 3rd Count of Fuenclara, asked José Antonio to count all the people living there. José Antonio finished this big task in April 1744. He found that about 3,865,000 people lived in New Spain at that time. He also drew a detailed map of Mexico City in 1750.
His Important Books
José Antonio Villaseñor y Sánchez wrote several important books during his life. These books helped people understand more about New Spain and the world.
Theatro Americano
One of his most famous works was called Theatro Americano. This book was a detailed description of the different regions and areas of New Spain. It was published in two parts between 1746 and 1748. Even today, historians use this book to learn about what life was like in colonial Mexico. It's a very important source of information for understanding the past.
Other Writings
He also wrote other books that showed his skills in math and science.
- Pantómetra matemática combinatoria de las leyes de la plata de toda ley (1733) was about mathematics and the laws of silver.
- Matemático cómputo de los astros (1756) was about calculating the positions of stars and other celestial bodies.
José Antonio Villaseñor y Sánchez was a key figure in his time. His work helped map and understand the vast lands of New Spain.
See also
In Spanish: José Antonio Villaseñor y Sánchez para niños
