Public and private interests in the construction of the Camino Real/Nacional from Mexico City to Veracruz

Abstract

This article gives an account of the process of conformation of the Camino Real/Nacional de Veracruz, with particular interest in the factors (economic, military) that explain the construction of its main routes at the end of the eighteenth century, the actors that influenced and participated in the realization of these projects, and the circumstances that led to its deterioration throughout the nineteenth century, as well as the attempts of successive national governments for its composition and maintenance.