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With an empire stretching across central Mexico, unmatched in
military and cultural might, the Aztecs seemed poised on the brink
of a golden age in the early sixteenth century. But the arrival of
the Spanish changed everything. Imperialism and the Origins of
Mexican Culture chronicles this violent clash of two empires and
shows how modern Mestizo culture evolved over the centuries as a
synthesis of Old and New World civilizations. Colin MacLachlan
begins by tracing Spain and Mesoamerica's parallel trajectories
from tribal enclaves to complex feudal societies. When the Spanish
laid siege to Tenochtitlan and destroyed it in 1521, the Aztecs
could only interpret this catastrophe in cosmic terms. With their
gods discredited and their population ravaged by epidemics, they
succumbed quickly to Spanish control-which meant submitting to
Christianity. Spain had just emerged from its centuries-long
struggle against the Moors, and zealous Christianity was central to
its imperial vision. But Spain's conquistadores far outnumbered its
missionaries, and the Church's decision to exclude Indian converts
from priesthood proved shortsighted. Native religious practices
persisted, and a richly blended culture-part Indian, part
Christian-began to emerge. The religious void left in the wake of
Spain's conquests had enduring consequences. MacLachlan's careful
analysis explains why Mexico is culturally a Mestizo country while
ethnically Indian, and why modern Mexicans remain largely orphaned
from their indigenous heritage-the adopted children of European
history.
Over time, Brazil has evolved into a well-defined nation with a
strong sense of identity. From the natural beauty of the Amazon
River to the exciting resort city of Rio de Janeiro, from soccer
champion Pele to classical musician Villa Lobos, Brazil is known as
a distinctive, diverse country. It is recognized worldwide for its
World Cup soccer team, samba music, dancing, and celebrations of
Carnival. This book provides a well-rounded, brief history of
Brazil that uniquely focuses on both the politics and culture of
the republic. Colin MacLachlan uses a political narrative to frame
the evolution of national culture and the formation of national
identity. He evaluates Brazilian myths, stereotypes, and icons such
as soccer and dancing as part of the historical analysis. Brazil's
history is presented from its colonial roots to the present,
showing how the country developed its economic and social base,
then struggled to modernize and secure a respected world role. Key
issues are examined: immigration, slavery and race, territorial
expansion, the military, and technology and industrialization. The
integration of cultural material enriches the text. It provides
handy points for classroom discussion and will help students
remember particular aspects Brazil's history. The book includes
fascinating side-bars on various aspects of Brazilian culture,
including Copacabana Beach and the rain forests. A History of
Modern Brazil will inform and entertain students in courses on
Brazil and modern Latin America.
Over time, Brazil has evolved into a well-defined nation with a
strong sense of identity. From the natural beauty of the Amazon
River to the exciting resort city of Rio de Janeiro, from soccer
champion Pele to classical musician Villa Lobos, Brazil is known as
a distinctive, diverse country. It is recognized worldwide for its
World Cup soccer team, samba music, dancing, and celebrations of
Carnival. This book provides a well-rounded, brief history of
Brazil that uniquely focuses on both the politics and culture of
the republic. Colin MacLachlan uses a political narrative to frame
the evolution of national culture and the formation of national
identity. He evaluates Brazilian myths, stereotypes, and icons such
as soccer and dancing as part of the historical analysis. Brazil's
history is presented from its colonial roots to the present,
showing how the country developed its economic and social base,
then struggled to modernize and secure a respected world role. Key
issues are examined: immigration, slavery and race, territorial
expansion, the military, and technology and industrialization. The
integration of cultural material enriches the text. It provides
handy points for classroom discussion and will help students
remember particular aspects Brazil's history. The book includes
fascinating side-bars on various aspects of Brazilian culture,
including Copacabana Beach and the rain forests. A History of
Modern Brazil will inform and entertain students in courses on
Brazil and modern Latin America.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which
commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out
and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and
impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes
high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using
print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in
1974.
On November 20, 1910, Mexicans initiated the world's first popular
social revolution. The unbalanced progress of the previous regime
triggered violence and mobilized individuals from all classes to
demand social and economic justice. In the process they shaped
modern Mexico at a cost of two million lives.
This accessible and gripping account guides the reader through the
intricacies of the revolution, focusing on the revolutionaries as a
group and the implementation of social and political changes. In
this volume written for the revolution's centennial, William H.
Beezley and Colin M. MacLachlan recount how the revolutionary
generation laid the foundation for a better life for all Mexicans.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which
commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out
and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and
impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes
high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using
print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in
1974.
After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it began
the work of forging its identity as an independent nation, a
process that would endure throughout the crucial nineteenth
century. A weakened Mexico faced American territorial ambitions and
economic pressure, and the U.S.-Mexican War threatened the
fledgling nation's survival. In 1876 Porfirio Diaz became president
of Mexico, bringing political stability to the troubled nation.
Although Diaz initiated long-delayed economic development and laid
the foundation of modern Mexico, his government was an oligarchy
created at the expense of most Mexicans. This accessible account
guides the reader through a pivotal time in Mexican history,
including such critical episodes as the reign of Santa Anna, the
U.S.-Mexican War, and the Porfiriato. Colin M. MacLachlan and
William H. Beezley recount how the century between Mexico's
independence and the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution had a
lasting impact on the course of the nation's history.
Why has Argentina failed so spectacularly, both economically and
politically? It is a puzzle because the country seemed to have all
the requirements for greatness, including a well-established middle
class of professionals. Its failure raises the specter that other
middle-class societies could also fail. In Argentina, MacLachlan
delivers history with a plot, a sense of direction and purpose, and
fascinating conclusions that reveal a much more complex picture of
Argentina than one might have had in mind prior to reading this
book. Argentina traces the roots of the nation from the late
colonial period to the present, and examines the impact of events
that molded it: the failure of political accommodation in 1912, the
role of the oligarchy, the development of a middle class, gender
issues, the elaboration of a distinct culture, the era of Peron,
the army, and the "dirty war." The conclusion suggests the reasons
for the nation's difficulties. The IMF, World Bank, and
international financial markets play a role, but so does a high
level of political corruption and mismanagement of the economy that
emerged from political and economic failure. Juan and Eva Peron
tried to override politics to create an economic and social balance
between urban labor and agriculture interests, but failed. The
dirty war arose from that failure. Nationalism forged a culture of
victimization and resentment that continues to this day. Laying
aside standard explanations, MacLachlan presents a portrait of
Argentina that emphasizes the role of a destructive
nationalism--and a form a corruption that turns citizens into
clients.
"The Forging of the Cosmic Race" challenges the widely held notion
that Mexico's colonial period is the source of many of that
country's ills. The authors contend that New Spain was neither
feudal nor pre-capitalists as some Neo-Marxist authors have argued.
Instead they advance two central themes: that only in New Spain did
a true mestizo society emerge, integrating Indians, Europeans,
Africans, and Asians into a unique cultural mix; and that colonial
Mexico forged a complex, balanced, and integrated economy that
transformed the area into the most important and dynamic part of
the Spanish empire. The revisionist view is based on a careful
examination of all the recent research done on colonial Mexican
history. The study begins with a discussion of the area's rich
pre-Columbian heritage. It traces the merging of two great cultural
traditions - the Meso-american and the European - which occurred as
a consequence of the Spanish conquest. The authors analyze the
evolution of a new mestizo society through an examination of the
colony's institutions, economy, and social organization. The role
of women and of the family receive particular attention because
they were critical to the development of colonial Mexico. The work
concludes with an analysis of the 18th century reforms and the
process of independence which ended the history of the most
successful colony in the Western hemisphere. The role of silver
mining emerges as a major factor of Mexico's great socio-economic
achievement. The rich silver mines served as an engine of economic
growth that stimulated agricultural expansion, pastoral activities,
commerce, and manufacturing. The destruction of the silver mines
during the wars of Independence was perhaps the most important
factor in Mexico's prolonged 19th century economic decline. Without
the great wealth from silver mining, economic recovery proved
extremely difficult in the post-independence period. These reverses
at the end of the colonial epoch are important in understanding why
Mexicans came to view the era as a 'burden' to be overcome rather
than as a formative period upon which to build a new nation.
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