Reports on the Maya Indians of Yucatan

Francisco Hernández

1517–1587

A Spanish physician and naturalist at the court of Philip II, he became famous for one of the earliest large-scale studies of the plants, animals, and medicines of New Spain. His work helped carry Indigenous knowledge and American natural history into European science.

Santiago Mendez

1796–1872

A key political figure in 19th-century Yucatán, he led the region through years of upheaval and left behind writings that connect him to the public debates of his time. Remembered for an austere style of government, he was known for personal honesty rather than personal gain.

Pedro Sánchez de Aguilar

1555–1648

A colonial-era priest and writer in Yucatán, he is remembered for a forceful account of Maya religious practices and the Spanish Church’s campaign to suppress them. His work survives as a vivid, troubling window into the tensions of 17th-century New Spain.