Book contents
- Death in Old Mexico
- Death in Old Mexico
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Murder
- Part II Context
- Part III Justice
- Part IV Characters
- Part V Consequences
- 13 Ceremonies of Death
- 14 Punishment
- 15 Law Enforcement Reform
- Part VI Interpretations
- Part VII Texts
- Conclusion Death in Old Mexico
- Bibliography
- Index
15 - Law Enforcement Reform
from Part V - Consequences
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 March 2023
Book contents
- Death in Old Mexico
- Death in Old Mexico
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Murder
- Part II Context
- Part III Justice
- Part IV Characters
- Part V Consequences
- 13 Ceremonies of Death
- 14 Punishment
- 15 Law Enforcement Reform
- Part VI Interpretations
- Part VII Texts
- Conclusion Death in Old Mexico
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The eighteenth century saw a series of reforms in judicial structures and practices, including the creation of the Acordada and the division of the capital city into cuarteles. These reforms may have contributed to more draconian approaches to justice in New Spain, as evidenced by an increasing number of corporal punishment sentences in the late 1780s and a peak in executions in 1790. This year also represents a watershed in the history of the Novohispanic judiciary due to the creation of Mexico’s first salaried corps of nightwatchmen. Arguably, the shock of the Dongo massacre motivated Revillagigedo to create this new institution.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Death in Old MexicoThe 1789 Dongo Murders and How They Shaped the History of a Nation, pp. 159 - 166Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023