The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots and the Liberal State 1492-1866The Spanish conquest of America generated a profusion of chronicles, tracts and poetry, among which are figured several classics of the Renaissance. It also provoked a fierce debate between Bartolome de las Casas, who defended the Indians, and the humanist historians who glorified the conquerors. Thereafter, imperial jurists and churchmen acclaimed the Spanish monarchy as chosen by Divine Providence to establish a Catholic empire in the New World. Within the bounds of this universal monarchy, American Spaniards sought to define their social identity by installing Aztec and Inca civilisation as the historical foundations of their countries and by accepting Our Lady of Guadalupe and St Rosa of Lima as their patrons. When the voice of the Enlightenment re-stated the imperial critique of the New World's inhabitants, Creole patriots vigorously responded; and if in South America Simon Bolivar cited classical republicanism to justify independence, in Mexico Creole patriotism was transmuted into an insurgent nationalism that did not succumb to liberal ideas until the incursion of the reform movement led by Benito Juarez. This book is about the quest of Spaniards born in the New World to define their American identity. It demonstrates that across the three centuries of colonial rule, Creole patriots succeeded in creating an intellectual and political tradition that by reason of its engagement with native history and American reality was idiosyncratic, regionally diverse, and distinct from any European model. |
Contents
List of illustrations | xiii |
Preface | xvii |
Prologue | 1 |
CONQUEST AND EMPIRE | 7 |
A new world | 9 |
Conquerors and chronicles | 25 |
The unarmed prophet | 58 |
The great debate | 79 |
Mexican phoenix | 343 |
Western paradise | 362 |
Peruvian eclipse | 391 |
History and philosophy | 422 |
Jesuit patriots | 447 |
RECONQUEST AND REVOLUTION | 465 |
The new state | 467 |
Erastian church | 492 |
Franciscan millenium | 102 |
The proconsul | 128 |
Andean pilgrim | 147 |
Jesuit triumphs | 166 |
History and myth | 184 |
The Catholic monarchy | 213 |
Tridentine prelate | 228 |
STRANGERS IN THEIR OWN LAND | 253 |
Inca humanist | 255 |
The Two Cities | 273 |
Creole patriots | 293 |
Annals of Ophir | 314 |
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The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots, and the Liberal ... D. A. Brading No preview available - 1991 |
Common terms and phrases
Abad y Queipo Acosta Altamirano America Antonio argued Arzáns asserted Augustinian authority Aztecs bishop Bolívar Bustamante Calancha Casas Catholic celebrated century Christian chronicle Church cited civilisation Clavijero clergy colonial condemned conquerors conquest contemporary contrast Cortés creole creole patriotism Crown Cuzco declared defend Despite Dominican effect empire encomenderos encomiendas Europe European Franciscan Francisco friars García Garcilaso Gómara gospel Guadalupe Guaman Poma Hernán Cortés Holy honour human Humboldt Ibid idolatry Inca Inca empire Indians Indies inhabitants insurgent Jesuits José Jovellanos Juan king kingdom labour Lady of Guadalupe liberal Lima Madrid magistrates María mendicants Mendieta mestizos Mexican Mexico Mier mission monarchy Moreover Motolinia Nahuatl nation native natural nobility Nueva España Obras observed offered Oviedo Palafox parish patria Peru pesos political possessed Potosí preaching priests province Ramírez religion religious royal Salinas Sigüenza Solórzano sought Spain Spaniards Spanish spiritual Tenochtitlan Toledo Torquemada viceroy vols World