How to Make a New Spain: The Material Worlds of Colonial Mexico City

How to Make a New Spain offers an original analysis of over 11,000 items in probate inventories of Spanish colonizers, synthesizing information from archaeological excavations of Spanish houses in Mexico City. It challenges theories of materiality by emphasizing the agency of things and the creation of material and social worlds by Indigenous people, colonizers, and Black people. The book provides a new vision of daily life in colonial Mexico City, showing how colonialism was based on the recognition of similar classes across ethnic boundaries and the forging of relationships with powerful Indigenous people.

Format: Hardback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 04 May 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

How to Make a New Spain offers an unparalleled glimpse into the material realms of Mexico City during the sixteenth century, drawing from a diverse range of sources and methodologies. The author presents their original analysis of over 11,000 items found in the probate inventories of thirty-nine Spanish colonizers, providing a comprehensive understanding of the wealth and possessions of these individuals. Additionally, the book synthesizes information from archaeological excavations of Spanish houses situated at the heart of Mexico City, shedding light on the architectural and spatial aspects of colonial life.

The book begins by critiquing prevailing theories of materiality, which tend to prioritize the agency of objects over an exploration of social relationships. Rodríguez-Alegría argues that in light of recent scholarship that has demonstrated the continued social and political power of the Mexica, or Aztecs, during the colonial period, it is essential to reevaluate the ways in which Indigenous people, colonizers, and Black people together shaped the material and social worlds of colonial Mexico.

The book seamlessly integrates information on various aspects of daily life in colonial Mexico City, including architecture, money, clothing, furniture, pottery, slaves, livestock, and tools. By presenting a holistic view of these elements, the book offers a fresh perspective on the lives of individuals living in the Spanish colony. It reveals that colonialism was not merely a matter of territorial expansion but also involved the recognition of people from similar social classes across ethnic boundaries. Furthermore, the book highlights the importance of forging relationships with powerful Indigenous people as a means of asserting dominance and gaining access to valuable resources.

Even colonizers who sought to differentiate themselves from Indigenous people through their material culture relied on Indigenous products and technology to achieve this distinction. The book's rich and complex history of materiality and power compels readers to reimagine colonial Mexico and the diverse individuals who contributed to its creation.

Weight: 802g
Dimension: 161 x 243 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197682296