Colonial Latin America

This basic undergraduate text provides a concise study of the history of the Iberian colonies in the New World. The narrative begins with the pre-conquest background, taking a close look at the cultures of the Maya, the Aztecs, the Inca and other groups. It then relates the history of the colonial era, covering such topics as the conquest, slavery and the slave trade, the economics of mining and the sugar trade and family and daily life in the colonies, spanning the time period up through the wars of independence in the early 19th-century. The book aims to deepen understanding of the cultures, the people and the struggles that have played a part in shaping Latin America. For this 4th edition, the authors have updated and revised information throughout the book, paying particular attention to aspects of social and cultural history. Many new pieces of art have also been added to the text.;This text is intended for use in undergraduate colonial Latin America courses and as a supplement in Latin American history survey courses.