This book is a collection of eleven essays dealing primarily with the era of independence in Spanish America. Ten have already been published either in the United States or Spanish America between 1940 and 1964. The other appears here for the first time.
In the book’s introduction, Charles C. Griffin presents a sound evaluation of the articles included. He points out that some writings are based on archival research, while others are exploratory in nature, having given rise to monographic studies. Finally, some are interpretive and comparative.
In the new essay, “La independencia de Hispanoamérica y la de los Estados Unidos,” Griffin returns to a theme which has interested him for many years—the parallels and divergences in the history of the Americas. Here he compares and contrasts the political, economic, and military events of the movements for independence in Spanish America and in the United States.
Griffin has the unique ability to perceive historical happenings in a most objective manner. He interprets patterns of events and provides the reader with the tools necessary to analyze these events, demonstrating that no situation arises in a vacuum.
The present essays were compiled for the benefit of university students in Venezuela, to expand their historical vistas. Nevertheless, all scholars will benefit, finding these articles both provocative and controversial.
