Early Latin America: A History of Colonial Spanish America and Brazil

Cambridge Latin American Studies #46

by James Lockhart, Stuart B. Schwartz

A brief general history of Latin America in the period between the European conquest and the independence of the Spanish American countries and Brazil serves as an introduction to this quickly changing field of study.

Cambridge Latin American Studies #46

Genres: History, Latin American History, Nonfiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1983

About the author

Academic and historian specialising in colonial Latin America and Nahuatl sources

Reviews

[Julio The Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep seeing this book in the office background of George Friedman's interviews and talks. That makes two of us who have read it. EARLY LATIN AMERICA is colonial Latin America without the BS: No "stout Cortez at Darien", the irascible Admiral of the Seven Seas, or Bartolome De Las Casas bravely saving the natives of the Indies. In fact, there are hardly any people in this history at all. Lockhart and Schwartz see patterns of conquest, settlement, evangelization, urbanization and finally decolonization all following a structural logic. No heroes, no villains, just the facts and figures, ma'am. If that is your cup of tea, jump in! The great merit of this book is bringing the Indian back into colonial history, and not just as a victim but as a producer, laborer, and linguist.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very comprehensive but with a conversational tone that makes it easy reading. I especially like how the authors directly acknowledge gaps in the historical record and address concepts that need further research before they can really comment. It's that kind of modesty (as compared to jumping to conclusions or speculation) that sets this book above a lot of scholarly history that I've read.

[Ida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the textbook for an overview of this period of history. Often skipping the more dramatic narrative, the authors look at the structural development that formed early Latin America. The reading can be a bit dry, but it is insightful.

[Chris Gager · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this is the book I partly read but close enough. I found it lying in the middle of the road all wet and beat up. I dried it out and read some of it. Probably a textbook. Very dry of course but the story of exploration and conquest is interesting. I pretty much gave up after that.

[Cenhinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in-depth overview of the general development of society in Latin America during colonial times. I enjoyed seeing the bigger picture, the continuities and the ways Indian, Iberian and African customs and institutions mixed.

However it is rather obvious that two people wrote this book. The bits on Brazil go back and forth between abstracted developments and references to individuals, while the bits on Spanish America barely do so. I preferred the way Brazil was treated in this regard.