Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture

Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture
Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Total Pages : 351
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780674286436
ISBN-13 : 067428643X
Rating : 4/5 (43X Downloads)

Book Synopsis Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture by : Colin M. MacLachlan

Download or read book Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture written by Colin M. MacLachlan and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2015-04-13 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With an empire stretching across central Mexico, unmatched in military and cultural might, the Aztecs seemed poised on the brink of a golden age in the early sixteenth century. But the arrival of the Spanish changed everything. Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture chronicles this violent clash of two empires and shows how modern Mestizo culture evolved over the centuries as a synthesis of Old and New World civilizations. Colin MacLachlan begins by tracing Spain and Mesoamerica’s parallel trajectories from tribal enclaves to complex feudal societies. When the Spanish laid siege to Tenochtitlán and destroyed it in 1521, the Aztecs could only interpret this catastrophe in cosmic terms. With their gods discredited and their population ravaged by epidemics, they succumbed quickly to Spanish control—which meant submitting to Christianity. Spain had just emerged from its centuries-long struggle against the Moors, and zealous Christianity was central to its imperial vision. But Spain’s conquistadors far outnumbered its missionaries, and the Church’s decision to exclude Indian converts from priesthood proved shortsighted. Native religious practices persisted, and a richly blended culture—part Indian, part Christian—began to emerge. The religious void left in the wake of Spain’s conquests had enduring consequences. MacLachlan’s careful analysis explains why Mexico is culturally a Mestizo country while ethnically Indian, and why modern Mexicans remain largely orphaned from their indigenous heritage—the adopted children of European history.


Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture Related Books

Imperialism and the Origins of Mexican Culture
Language: en
Pages: 351
Authors: Colin M. MacLachlan
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2015-04-13 - Publisher: Harvard University Press

GET EBOOK

With an empire stretching across central Mexico, unmatched in military and cultural might, the Aztecs seemed poised on the brink of a golden age in the early si
Refried Elvis
Language: en
Pages: 374
Authors: Eric Zolov
Categories: Education
Type: BOOK - Published: 1999-07-05 - Publisher: Univ of California Press

GET EBOOK

"This book traces the history of rock 'n' roll in Mexico and the rise of the native countercultural movement La Onda (the wave). This story frames the most sign
The Mixtecs of Colonial Oaxaca
Language: en
Pages: 532
Authors: Kevin Terraciano
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2004-07-01 - Publisher: Stanford University Press

GET EBOOK

A history of the Mixtec Indians of southern Mexico, this book focuses on several dozen Mixtec communities in the region of Oaxaca during the period from about 1
Mexicanos, Third Edition
Language: en
Pages: 574
Authors: Manuel G. Gonzales
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2019-06-05 - Publisher: Indiana University Press

GET EBOOK

Responding to shifts in the political and economic experiences of Mexicans in America, this newly revised and expanded edition of Mexicanos provides a relevant
Indigenous Elites and Creole Identity in Colonial Mexico, 1500–1800
Language: en
Pages: 368
Authors: Peter B. Villella
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016-01-25 - Publisher: Cambridge University Press

GET EBOOK

This book explores colonial indigenous historical accounts to offer a new interpretation of the origins of Mexico's neo-Aztec patriotic identity.