Social and Environmental Adjustments in the Face of Metereological and War Phenomena in the History of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico

The history of the Mexican city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, includes moments in which its population has faced natural and war events. In this study, considering the principles of “resilience theory”, five periods are presented to exemplify these kinds of events. Firstly, since the birth of the village in 1519 until the time of its role during the defense of national territory in 1848. In addition, we discuss the community’s capacity to react facing hurricanes and European assaults during the second half of the 19th century. Subsequently, we refer to the adaptability and unexpected growth, both of the population and the city, at the beginning of the 20th century, followed by the period when the maquiladora industry developed, between 1948 and 1988. Finally, we refer to the process of adabtabity of Matamoros to overcome the threats and urban violence present in this second decade of the 21st century