Parker Hewitt’s Reviews > Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America > Status Update

One of the other things I felt was interesting and would want to read more about was the social and cultural distinctions between the Creoles and the Peninsulars (Peninsulares). This played a major role in the independence movement as it was largely the "native" elites (still high in the largely race-based caste system) in the form of the Creoles who would lead the rebellions and form the governments.

The prose is still good and the author does a good job of balancing social-political causes and cultural issues. Lots of focus on the role of women. He notes the differences in colonies resulting in landowners being more preeminent in some places, and shows how that plays out politically elsewhere. I don't feel like he addresses some of the interesting questions he poses, like how was colonial rule so long lasting.

The talk of the different levels of stratification in different levels of sedentary societies is also fascinating. Calling the ruling class of the Aztecs a warlike people while also discussing labor specializing reminds me of Robert Bates' Prosperity and Violence where he discusses "violence specializers" who are able to negotiate - through treat and threat - a means to extract excess and make war with a given people

Also makes interesting Scott-ian distinctions between levels of sedentism and the associated levels of specialization and hierarchy in given native societies. The Mexica ruling class of the Aztec empire (important label) were a war making elite as well, and this empire was, like the Inca, more fragile than might be assumed based on multiethnic and partially conquered status when Europeans arrived.

both the native Tupis and African's. Even though this work isn't theory heavy it does tap on the things that my readings of the social sciences have shown to be important to understanding dynamics of societies. Economics, religions, and elites. Iberian elites were structured around war-making, especially against non-Christians. Tupi chiefs would marry Portuguese, so indigenous elites accommodated settlers differently

Good book, better than I expected. Have had this for a while now, really enjoying. Chasteen's writing is clear and is very good in terms of signal to noise. Gives quick survey of Iberian and South American civilizations before explaining important aspects of the encounter between the two. Sugar gre well, was coveted, easy to condense and transport, but required labor Iberians wouldn't do. Which led to them enslaving