Mexicos rich culture has long fascinated scholars, with stories of ancient civilizations and great conquerors. History of the Conquest of Mexico (1843) expounds upon the virtues of Mexico while seeking to explain the tragedy of the countrys defeat in terms of its neighboring civilizations. The arrival of the Spaniards forever altered and in many ways curtailed indigenous cultural development in Mesoamerica; but, so too, began the history and culture, forever enriched by its dual heritage, of modern Mexico as we know it today.