…Pátzcuaro, which is made the capital of…
December 1538 CE
…Pátzcuaro, which is made the capital of the new Spanish province of Michoacán.
He works to gather the Indians in large towns near Lake Pátzcuaro in the center of Purépecha territory, recently ravaged by Guzmán.
Using Thomas More's Utopia as a model, here the Indians are to be taught religion, crafts and the fundamentals of self-government.
Each town is to become the center of an industry.
Each person works six hours a day and contributes on an equal basis to the common welfare.
He will gradually realize the necessity of restricting the scope of his plans, which he had hoped to apply throughout the colony, to the smaller area over which he has jurisdiction, partially because his personal funds are not unlimited.