Description
Book SynopsisThe Birth of Modern Mexico, 17801824 investigates the roots of the Mexican Independence era from a variety of perspectives. The essays in this volume link the pre-1810 late Bourbon period to the War of Independence (18101821), analyze many crucial aspects of the decade of conflict, and illustrate the continuities with the first years of the independent Mexican nation. Christon I. Archer has assembled the most important scholars of the Independence era in Mexican history. Each essay addresses a central theme and brings new perspectives to the topics under consideration. They all contribute to a nuanced view of the period from roughly the 1790s to the 1830s: the different conceptions of legitimacy between the popular masses and the elite; the skill and importance of pro-Spanish propaganda; the process of organizing conspiracies; the survival and thriving of a mercantile family before, during, and after the creation of the republic; the causes of failing mines; the role of religious thoug
Trade ReviewChriston I. Archer, the volume's editor, provides a lively overview of the independence era in his introductory chapter, emphasizing the multiple fractures of colonial society, enduring conflicts between Mexico City and the regions, the often confused responses of different social groups to events in Europe, and, above all, the colonial elite's altogether pessimistic assessment of the common folk they encountered. -- Jennie Purnell, Boston College * Latin American Research Review *
A real contribution, The Birth of Modern Mexico will bring scholars and students to engage new complexities in a time of fundamental conflict and transformation. -- John Tutino, Georgetown University
This is an extraordinarily useful book. I am eager to use it in my classes. -- Lyman L. Johnson, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: In the Gloomy Caverns of Paganism: Popular Culture, Insurgency, and Nation-Building in Mexico, 1800–1821 Chapter 2: An "Absurd Insurrection"? Creole Insecurity, Pro-Spanish Propaganda, and the Hidalgo Revolt Chapter 3: The Conspiracies of 1811: How the Criollos Learned to Organize in Secret Chapter 4: A Mercantile Family Confronts War and Insurrection: The Iturbe e Iraetas in the Era of Mexican Independence Chapter 5: Years of Decision: Félix Calleja and the Strategy to End the Revolution of New Spain Chapter 6: Mexican Mining and Independence: The Saga of Enticing Opportunities Chapter 7: The Millennium and Mexican Independence: Some Interpretations Chapter 8: Agustín de Iturbide and the Process of Consensus Chapter 9: The Struggle for Dominance: The Legislature versus the Executive in Early Mexico Bibliography
