{"product_id":"the-first-letter-from-new-spain-9781477307632","title":"The First Letter from New Spain","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe founding of la Villa Rica de la Veracruz (the rich town of the True Cross) is prominently mentioned in histories of the conquest of Mexico, but scant primary documentation of the provocative act exists. During a research session at the Spanish archives, when John Schwaller discovered an early-sixteenth-century letter from Veracruz signed by the members of Cortés’s company, he knew he had found a trove of historical details. Providing an accessible, accurate translation of this pivotal correspondence, along with in-depth examinations of its context and significance, \u003ci\u003eThe First Letter from New Spain\u003c\/i\u003e gives all readers access to the first document written from the mainland of North America by any European, and the only surviving original document from the first months of the conquest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe timing of Cortés’s Good Friday landing, immediately before the initial assault on the Aztec Empire, enhances the significance of this work. Though the expediti\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the moment that I opened \u003ci\u003eThe First Letter from New Spain\u003c\/i\u003e to its conclusion, I found myself ridiculously excited about the material. . . . Schwaller does a good job in his effort to place the founding of the town within the context of the events surrounding it. Further, by organizing the book in the way that they do and focusing on all known signatories, Schwaller and Nader lessen the exceptionalism of the top conquistadores and demonstrate the very real plight and dangers that awaited the conquistadores at the bottom ranks of the group. At the end of the monograph, and this review, I find myself just as excited about it as when I started. I believe that the book will appeal to scholars, students, and the general public alike. * Hispanic American Historical Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePreface\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 1. Introduction (John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 2. A Synopsis of the Conquest of Mexico (John F. Schwaller and Helen Nader)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 3. The Veracruz Petition in Historiographical Context (John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 4. Description of the Veracruz Petition (Helen Nader and John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 5. Facsimile, Transcription, and Translation of the Veracruz Petition (Helen Nader and John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 6. The Members of the Company: A Prosopographical Essay (John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 7. Biographies of the Signatories of the Veracruz Petition (John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 8. Conclusions (John F. Schwaller)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAppendix. Signatories of the 1520 Segura de la Frontera Letter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNotes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBibliography\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndex\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"University of Texas Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49408943817047,"sku":"9781477307632","price":21.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781477307632.jpg?v=1730504800","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-first-letter-from-new-spain-9781477307632","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}