Mexico and the United States

2. Describing a ruler or government that exercises absolute power in a cruel or oppressive way.
4. Unwilling to change your opinion or compromise; stubborn.
9. Impossible to bring into agreement or resolve because of major differences.
11. The Christian religion centered on the authority of the Pope and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
12. Imaginary or impossible ideas, hopes, or plans; originally, a chimera was a mythical creature made up of parts of different animals.
14. Impossible to overcome or defeat.
15. The process of adopting new ideas, technologies, systems, or practices to make society more modern.
16. A recurring theme, idea, or element associated with a particular person, subject, or situation, especially in music or literature.
17. A series of religious wars, mainly during the Middle Ages, launched by European Christians, particularly to gain control of the Holy Land.

1. A historical and cultural region that included parts of present-day Mexico and Central America, where civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs developed.
3. An intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, science, knowledge, and individual rights.
5. Relating to myths, legends, or imaginary heroic stories; sometimes describing something extraordinary.
6. A branch of Christianity that emerged from the 16th-century Reformation and includes churches distinct from the Roman Catholic Church.
7. An economic system in which individuals or businesses privately own property and businesses and produce goods and services for profit.
8. Intense, irrational fears of particular things or situations.
10. Mexican Americans, especially those who identify with Mexican heritage and culture and, in some contexts, the Chicano civil rights movement.
13. The capital city of the Aztec Empire, located where Mexico City stands today.