The central feature that united the late colonial period, the Wars of Independence, and the early republican decades in Latin America was the destruction of the colonial political and economic order by a combination of world events and internal forces, clearing the path for capitalist development. The events of this era are part of protracted bourgeois revolutions. This statement does not imply that the political struggles of the early 19th century were led by unified bourgeoisies with clear visions of what changes they desired, nor that the transformations were rapidly successful. The absence of a revolutionizing bourgeoisie does not suggest a contrast with contemporaneous events in Europe. Many Latin Americanists implicitly compare events in Latin America with an idealized vision of European transitions. They telescope European events, emphasizing a class-conscious bourgeoisie at the forefront of successful political and economic revolutions. They then present the lack of a strong, unified bourgeoisie in post-Independence Latin America as the cause of political instability and economic underdevelopment. However, in Europe as in Latin America, complex, multiclass alliances both promoted and opposed these changes.Peter Guardino is a visiting fellow at
John Tutino has long been one of the premier historians of Mexico's agrarian past, and in this sweeping book he continues to explicate that past through deep research in primary sources, theoretical thinking, and historical synthesis. Focusing on areas of Mexico's core that are now located in the Federal District and the states of Hidalgo, Mexico, and Morelos, Tutino shows how Mexico's rural population was important to global capitalism and how changes in the world economy were lived locally. Far from a typical historical monograph, this outstanding book addresses big issues and covers a vast stretch of time.
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