Stormy Passage: Mexico from Colony to Republic, 1750-1850

This book explores the development of a regional agrarian system in late colonial Mexico, centered on the rural estate (hacienda), and how population growth led to conflict between white and Indian landowners and the proletarianization of the peasantry. It was a major area of armed conflict during the Mexican struggle for independence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 358 pages
Publication date: 11 May 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

This book delves into the intricate development of a regional agrarian system in late colonial Mexico, specifically focusing on the area of Guadalajara. It provides a comprehensive account of the various facets of the rural economy, encompassing land ownership patterns, credit and investment systems, labor relations, production structures, and the interconnected relationship between a major colonial city and its surrounding region. The central thesis of the book is that the rapid population growth of Guadalajara played a pivotal role in integrating the vast geographical region surrounding the city through the mechanisms of the urban market for grain and meat. This integration exerted significant pressure on local land and labor resources, ultimately leading to escalating conflicts between white and Indian landowners and the progressive proletarianization of the regions peasantry during the last decades of the Spanish colonial era.

Given this historical backdrop, it is not surprising that the Guadalajara region emerged as one of the major focal points of armed conflict during the Mexican struggle for independence from Spain (1810-1821). The book offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of social, economic, and political change that characterized this period, shedding light on the factors that contributed to the region's pivotal role in the nation's history.

Weight: 666g
Dimension: 237 x 158 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781442209015