The Birth of Modern Mexico, 1780-1824 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 (1810-1821), analyze many crucial aspects of the decade of conflict, and illustrate the continuities with the first years of the independent Mexican nation. They all contribute to a nuanced view of the period: 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, the causes of failing mines, the role of religious thought in the supposed secular state, and differing conceptions of authority by the legislature and the executive. One of the few readable, concise books on the topic of independence, this volume probes the birth of modern Mexico in a crisply written style that is sure to appeal to historians and students of Mexican history.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction
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: Fé lix 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: Agustí n de Iturbide and the Process of Consensus
Chapter 9: The Struggle for Dominance: The Legislature versus the Executive in Early Mexico
Bibliography
