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Revolutions in the Modern World
The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826
Spanish America was engulfed for nearly two decades in revolutions for independence that were sudden, violent, and universal. John Lynch provides a brilliant survey of the men and the movements during these critical years. He views the revolutionary outbreak as the culmination of a long process of alienation from Spain during which Spanish Americans became aware of their own identity, conscious of their own culture, and jealous of their own resources. He traces the forces of independence as they gathered momentum and spread across the subcontinent in two great waves converging on Peru. He also explains why the heroic liberators, among them San Martín, Bolívar, and O'Higgins, were unable to prevent the revolutions from ultimately turning into counterrevolutions that frustrated their efforts to create new societies. In the second edition, Lynch adds a section on Central America and incorporates the latest work being done on the origins and aftermaths of these revolutions.
Contents
1. The origins of Spanish American Nationality
The new imperialism
American responses
Incipient nationalism
2. Revolution in Río de la Plata
Merchants and militia
The May revolution
Buenos Aires and the interior
Rivadavia and the new economy
Estancieros and the new society
3. Revolution against Río de la Plata
Independence of Uruguay
Paraguay, the impenetrable dictatorship
The war of guerrillas in Upper Peru
4. Chile, Liberated and Liberator
The Patria Vieja
San Martín and the army of the Andes
From O´Higgins to Portales
The beneficiaries
5. Peru, the Ambiguous Revolution
Royalists and reformists
The rebellion of Pumacahua
San Martín and the liberating expedition
The protectorate
The Guayaquil interview
6. Venezuela, the Violent Revolution
From colony to republic
War to the death
The revolution lives
New masters, old structures
7. Liberation, a New Site in Colombia
The grievances of a colony
Liberation of New Granada, conquest of Quito
Colombia, one nation or three?
The liberal society
8. The Last Viceroy, the Last Victory
Peru, reluctant republic
Bolivia: independence in search of a nation
“America is ungovernable”
9. Mexico: The Consummation of American Independence
Silver and society
The insurgents
The conservative revolution
New mule, same rider
Central America: independence by default
10. The Reckoning
Contents
1. The origins of Spanish American Nationality
The new imperialism
American responses
Incipient nationalism
2. Revolution in Río de la Plata
Merchants and militia
The May revolution
Buenos Aires and the interior
Rivadavia and the new economy
Estancieros and the new society
3. Revolution against Río de la Plata
Independence of Uruguay
Paraguay, the impenetrable dictatorship
The war of guerrillas in Upper Peru
4. Chile, Liberated and Liberator
The Patria Vieja
San Martín and the army of the Andes
From O´Higgins to Portales
The beneficiaries
5. Peru, the Ambiguous Revolution
Royalists and reformists
The rebellion of Pumacahua
San Martín and the liberating expedition
The protectorate
The Guayaquil interview
6. Venezuela, the Violent Revolution
From colony to republic
War to the death
The revolution lives
New masters, old structures
7. Liberation, a New Site in Colombia
The grievances of a colony
Liberation of New Granada, conquest of Quito
Colombia, one nation or three?
The liberal society
8. The Last Viceroy, the Last Victory
Peru, reluctant republic
Bolivia: independence in search of a nation
“America is ungovernable”
9. Mexico: The Consummation of American Independence
Silver and society
The insurgents
The conservative revolution
New mule, same rider
Central America: independence by default
10. The Reckoning
482 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
6 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
John Lynch
31 books23 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
John Lynch is Emeritus Professor of Latin American History at the University of London. He spent most of his academic career at University College, and then from 1974 to 1987 as Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies. The main focus of his work has been Spanish America in the period 1750–1850. [wikipedia]
John Lynch is Emeritus Professor of Latin American History at the University of London. He spent most of his academic career at University College, and then from 1974 to 1987 as Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies. The main focus of his work has been Spanish America in the period 1750–1850. [wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 15, 2020
"The Spanish American Revolutions" is a traditional history originally written in 1973 and updated in 1986. The author, John Lynch, was professor of Latin American History at The University of London. I read this book because it gets high praise from Carlos Fuentes in his wide-ranging survey of the relationship between Spain and Latin America, "El espejo enterrado".
With 50 pages of notes, and a 25 page bibliographical essay, Spanish American Revolutions is the result of extensive research and is packed full of information. It is not always an easy read, and can be dense and academic. Lynch concentrates on the underlying causes of the spate of revolutions and wars which resulted in the independence of most of Spanish America in the early 19th century. Many of those causes are economic, and Lynch dives right in with descriptions of trade deficits, taxation, capital investment, etc. Not always light reading, but very informative.
I found that the best way to engage with the book was to read sections out loud. This caused me to slow down and read carefully, and let me appreciate the clarity and precision of the author's descriptions. For example:
"Mexico was pure colony. Spaniard ruled creole, creole used Indian, and the metropolis exploited all three. Liberation would be arduous in this the most valuable of all Spain's possessions. In the course of the eighteenth century Mexican silver production rose continuously from five million pesos in 1702, past the boom of the 1770s and an increase from twelve million to eighteen million pesos a year, to a peak of twenty-seven million in 1804."
The book is fairly encyclopedic, and covers the multiple revolutions that took place in the early 19th century. Beginning with Rio de la Plata, from which emerged Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, then moving west to Chile, then to the Northern part of South America, from which emerged Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, then to the Spanish stronghold of Peru, which could only be liberated from Spain with military pressure from Chile and Argentina in the south, and Colombia in the north. Bolivia was originally known as "Upper Peru", and spun off as a separate country basically because its mine owners could not bear to be controlled by either Peru or Argentina. Mexico followed its own path to independence. Spain was not interested in keeping Central American colonies without Mexico, so they became independent by default, initially attempting to form a federation with its capital in Guatemala, which broke apart after only a few years. The only Spanish colonies that remained after 1826 were the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
For me, the most interesting figure in the book is Simon Bolivar, a sort of South American George Washington. He was one of the few Latin American revolutionaries who seemed to be motivated by idealism and patriotism as opposed to pure self and class interest (though he was very wary of giving power to Blacks and Indians, believing that they had an understandable hatred for ruling class whites). He was the son of a rich Venezuelan creole family, with a brilliant mind and a great talent for leadership. Bolivar had the idea of forming one nation called Gran Colombia, comprised at least of Venezuela, New Granada, and Guayaquil in Northern South America. But his idea quickly gave way to the reality of suspicion and differing interests between the powerful groups in the various regions. In the end, Venezuela remained as a separate nation, Guayaquil came to be known as Ecuador, and all that remained of Gran Colombia was New Granada which was re-named Colombia and ruled for a time by Bolivar.
Bolivar also led troops in the liberation of Peru, and later, as one of the few trusted figures in the region became ruler of Upper Peru which was named Bolivia in his honor. Bolivar's second dream was to form a federation of the Andean nations: Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. This too was not to be.
I highly recommend John Lynch's work for anyone who wants a detailed understanding of how Spanish America gained independence from Spain. Although there were separate wars for independence in the various regions, this book does a great job of stitching them together and giving a clear view of the common factors and interactions that caused the entire hemisphere to become independent in the course of less than twenty years.
I want to note that the version of this book I got from the New York Public Library, published by W.W. Norton & Company, is probably the worst printed book I have ever read. The font is tiny, blurry and faded in places. It seems to be the result of several generations of photo-copying, or maybe a reject from a defective printing press. Not sure how a reputable publisher could put its name on this.
With 50 pages of notes, and a 25 page bibliographical essay, Spanish American Revolutions is the result of extensive research and is packed full of information. It is not always an easy read, and can be dense and academic. Lynch concentrates on the underlying causes of the spate of revolutions and wars which resulted in the independence of most of Spanish America in the early 19th century. Many of those causes are economic, and Lynch dives right in with descriptions of trade deficits, taxation, capital investment, etc. Not always light reading, but very informative.
I found that the best way to engage with the book was to read sections out loud. This caused me to slow down and read carefully, and let me appreciate the clarity and precision of the author's descriptions. For example:
"Mexico was pure colony. Spaniard ruled creole, creole used Indian, and the metropolis exploited all three. Liberation would be arduous in this the most valuable of all Spain's possessions. In the course of the eighteenth century Mexican silver production rose continuously from five million pesos in 1702, past the boom of the 1770s and an increase from twelve million to eighteen million pesos a year, to a peak of twenty-seven million in 1804."
The book is fairly encyclopedic, and covers the multiple revolutions that took place in the early 19th century. Beginning with Rio de la Plata, from which emerged Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, then moving west to Chile, then to the Northern part of South America, from which emerged Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, then to the Spanish stronghold of Peru, which could only be liberated from Spain with military pressure from Chile and Argentina in the south, and Colombia in the north. Bolivia was originally known as "Upper Peru", and spun off as a separate country basically because its mine owners could not bear to be controlled by either Peru or Argentina. Mexico followed its own path to independence. Spain was not interested in keeping Central American colonies without Mexico, so they became independent by default, initially attempting to form a federation with its capital in Guatemala, which broke apart after only a few years. The only Spanish colonies that remained after 1826 were the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
For me, the most interesting figure in the book is Simon Bolivar, a sort of South American George Washington. He was one of the few Latin American revolutionaries who seemed to be motivated by idealism and patriotism as opposed to pure self and class interest (though he was very wary of giving power to Blacks and Indians, believing that they had an understandable hatred for ruling class whites). He was the son of a rich Venezuelan creole family, with a brilliant mind and a great talent for leadership. Bolivar had the idea of forming one nation called Gran Colombia, comprised at least of Venezuela, New Granada, and Guayaquil in Northern South America. But his idea quickly gave way to the reality of suspicion and differing interests between the powerful groups in the various regions. In the end, Venezuela remained as a separate nation, Guayaquil came to be known as Ecuador, and all that remained of Gran Colombia was New Granada which was re-named Colombia and ruled for a time by Bolivar.
Bolivar also led troops in the liberation of Peru, and later, as one of the few trusted figures in the region became ruler of Upper Peru which was named Bolivia in his honor. Bolivar's second dream was to form a federation of the Andean nations: Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. This too was not to be.
I highly recommend John Lynch's work for anyone who wants a detailed understanding of how Spanish America gained independence from Spain. Although there were separate wars for independence in the various regions, this book does a great job of stitching them together and giving a clear view of the common factors and interactions that caused the entire hemisphere to become independent in the course of less than twenty years.
I want to note that the version of this book I got from the New York Public Library, published by W.W. Norton & Company, is probably the worst printed book I have ever read. The font is tiny, blurry and faded in places. It seems to be the result of several generations of photo-copying, or maybe a reject from a defective printing press. Not sure how a reputable publisher could put its name on this.
February 13, 2014
The vastness of its subject matter hardly makes it for an easy read, but the craftsmanship of the good historian, John Lynch, saves it from the oblivion of the masses. Lynch goes by geographical areas starting at the southern cone up, ending with Mexico and, last of all, the Central American countries; and on these last nations very few pages are used. As one might expect the multitude of names, facts, and the different analyses that apply to each case does not help with the entertainment department, so to speak; but the idea is there to pick up. The general idea comes forth from the reading, as from a bird's eye up above the scenery we see how different races and social echelons compete for a place in post-colonial Spanish America; how there is a lack of plan, in the sense of a revolution of the people (as in America or France) and it is only a fight to fill the vacuum left by the Peninsulares, a fight to take the reigns of the whatever-comes-after, whether it be a Republic, a Monarchy or whatever. The outcome, and this is the main point I gather, was not what mattered to the people in general; what mattered was who was going to rule: who was to be favored and who was to stay the same or get worse. The story is not a bit idealistic or romantic, I'm afraid: on liberty and justice for all, etc.
But that's Spanish America, I mean, no Burke, no Jefferson, no Franklin, nobody. The Catholic Church and the aristocrats of Spain had for so long kept the hearts and minds of the spanish people in ignorance, isolated from the heretic Protestant world of northern Europe, that the word civilization did not quite apply to the cultural state of the Spanish people, in Spain or in America. Oh, you are thinking of Bolívar... of course, Bolívar, how could I forget. But Bolívar isn't my cup of tea, either ...yes, he did have some ideas, and he did look up to Britain and hoped to be in good terms with them. But he was not a democrat at heart; perhaps he was even a racist, definitely he was of the stuff despots are made of: arrogance, paternalism, elitism... and this guy was one of the few “good guys” you can find in the book. At least Lynch gives him the "good-guy" treatment. But here are Bolívar's own words about Americans, so judge for yourself:
“I am convinced to the very marrow of my bones that America can only be ruled by an able despotism … we are the vile offspring of the predatory Spaniards who came to America to bleed her white and to breed with their victims. Later the illegitimate offspring of these unions joined with the offspring of slaves transported from Africa. With such racial mixture and such moral record, can we afford to place laws above leaders and principles above men?”
The last few pages are a brief overview of the aftermath of independence: petty countries, or countries-still-to-be, were the victims of caudillos, regional chieftains who warried among themselves for their own piece of turf: like the independence war before but on a neighborly scale. To milk the resources of the country and to curve any appetite for knowledge among the servile masses, that was -and still is- the only aim in Spanish-speaking America. Know any better recipe than tequila, mate, cocaine, and telenovelas to keep people dumbed-down for ever?
But that's Spanish America, I mean, no Burke, no Jefferson, no Franklin, nobody. The Catholic Church and the aristocrats of Spain had for so long kept the hearts and minds of the spanish people in ignorance, isolated from the heretic Protestant world of northern Europe, that the word civilization did not quite apply to the cultural state of the Spanish people, in Spain or in America. Oh, you are thinking of Bolívar... of course, Bolívar, how could I forget. But Bolívar isn't my cup of tea, either ...yes, he did have some ideas, and he did look up to Britain and hoped to be in good terms with them. But he was not a democrat at heart; perhaps he was even a racist, definitely he was of the stuff despots are made of: arrogance, paternalism, elitism... and this guy was one of the few “good guys” you can find in the book. At least Lynch gives him the "good-guy" treatment. But here are Bolívar's own words about Americans, so judge for yourself:
“I am convinced to the very marrow of my bones that America can only be ruled by an able despotism … we are the vile offspring of the predatory Spaniards who came to America to bleed her white and to breed with their victims. Later the illegitimate offspring of these unions joined with the offspring of slaves transported from Africa. With such racial mixture and such moral record, can we afford to place laws above leaders and principles above men?”
The last few pages are a brief overview of the aftermath of independence: petty countries, or countries-still-to-be, were the victims of caudillos, regional chieftains who warried among themselves for their own piece of turf: like the independence war before but on a neighborly scale. To milk the resources of the country and to curve any appetite for knowledge among the servile masses, that was -and still is- the only aim in Spanish-speaking America. Know any better recipe than tequila, mate, cocaine, and telenovelas to keep people dumbed-down for ever?
August 5, 2018
Türkçede maalesef Latin Amerika devrimlerine dair partizan olmayan bir kitap bulma imkanı yok. Konuya dair çok kapsamlı ve ilk elden kaynak olabilecek bir eser. Latin Amerika devrimlerine ve İspanyol imparatorluğunun yeni kıtada nasıl parçalandığına ilgi duyanlar için öneririm. Türkçeye çevrilmesi çok büyük hizmet olur.
April 6, 2012
On the subject of Latin America's wars of independence from Spain, Lynch's book is essential reading.
June 26, 2018
I was looking for a well researched book on the revolutions in South America that brought about independence from Spain. I could have chosen several books about the independence movements of each nation. Many of these books are high partisan. This book completely satisfied what I was looking for. The various chapters look at regional independence movements. They talk about political, economic and geographical driving forces that led to the push for independence and the reasons for failure of larger states.
The book is filled with dates, names and facts. It mentions battles but does not go into details beyond what is necessary to describe the battle in the context of the larger independence movement. It is not a book for light reading. It is rather dry. It is however and excellent book for anyone looking at for a detailed overview of the events from 1808 to 1826. It is one, despite its original publication date, that I would highly recommend for anyone with an interest in the subject.
The book is filled with dates, names and facts. It mentions battles but does not go into details beyond what is necessary to describe the battle in the context of the larger independence movement. It is not a book for light reading. It is rather dry. It is however and excellent book for anyone looking at for a detailed overview of the events from 1808 to 1826. It is one, despite its original publication date, that I would highly recommend for anyone with an interest in the subject.
February 8, 2022
A slightly dry text charting the chronology of the Spanish American Wars of Independence. Lynch covers each modern-day country with a chapter, which can be slightly confusing at first. Some previous knowledge is required, as at points Lynch cross-refers to other countries and movements that he is yet to cover. This is also a problem with his approach in the chapters, in that by covering each regions movements independently, the timeline does sometimes end up blurred.
Of course, this approach does have benefits, as it's easy to dip in and out on reading about a particular region.
Another aspect of Lynch's approach is his heavy focus on the political factor. Triumvirates, juntas and federalism all feature heavily in his work, with fewer aspects on social and cultural history.
Of course, this approach does have benefits, as it's easy to dip in and out on reading about a particular region.
Another aspect of Lynch's approach is his heavy focus on the political factor. Triumvirates, juntas and federalism all feature heavily in his work, with fewer aspects on social and cultural history.
January 15, 2022
The writing can be a bit dry sometimes and you can get overwhelmed with too many characters and events but I would still rate this a 5-star as the author did a really great job in breaking down the complexities of the events narrated. This book will definitely aid in learning about this time period and the personalities involved even for someone who don’t know much about latin american history.
September 22, 2021
Muy interesante libro, de oportuna lectura ahora que comienzan a cumplirse los bicentenarios de las declaraciones de independencia de las varias naciones americanas que formaban parte del imperio español hasta que se dieron las condiciones adecuadas para que rigieran sus propios destinos.
June 19, 2025
Un completo e interesante repaso a las razones y dinámicas de las diversas revoluciones que se sucedieron en Hispanoamérica a lo largo del S.XIX. Cómo los acontecimientos en la España peninsular influyeron decisivamente en el desapego de los territorios de Ultramar.
July 30, 2018
Useful overview of a very broad topic.
May 9, 2024
A well written overview of the revolutions against Spanish rule in South and Central America
December 21, 2025
como siempre, lynch no defrauda. es claro y llevadero. quizás al final se hace un poco largo, pero entendiendo el hilo de lo que quería contar, no se puede achicar. el último capítulo sin igual.
January 23, 2015
Good textbook that gives the history of the various Revolutions that occurred in this period. Enjoy!
December 17, 2016
Published almost fifty years ago, Lynch's work is still the single best volume there is on Latin American Independence.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews