In this work, Germán Colmenares has given us a monumental study of the economic and social history of Colombia during the first 200 years of Spanish domination. In more than 300 pages he covers the significant aspects of Spanish colonial activity in Colombia, from conquest and colonization through the development of the economy and structure of colonial society in the seventeenth century. Throughout the discussion, numerous charts, tables, graphs, and maps illustrate important points or supplement the arguments made in the text. The narrative and analysis move through the various stages and facets of Colombia’s colonial development with about equal emphasis placed on social and economic themes.
Because of the richness of this study, it is a difficult book to summarize. The author has made each chapter a treatise on a particular aspect of Colombia’s economic or social history, complete with a bewildering array of examples, statistics, and quotations. While at first glance this approach may seem to confuse the reader, any pains taken to plow through the detail result in a remarkably complete view of Colombia’s colonial structure and the dynamics of her economy and society.
For example, among the important chapters in this work, the one on the gold industry presents, perhaps, the most significant new results and the most important contribution of new information. In a remarkable display of charts, graphs, and tables, Colmenares leads the reader through the rise, development, and crisis of the gold industry. His descriptions and analysis draw on data from a variety of sources and show a clear understanding of the interrelationship between finance, commerce, technology, transportation, and social structure in the organization and development of the mining industry.
In many ways this book takes on the attributes of a reference work, a guide to the sources and data available on the economic and social history of colonial Colombia. Its close attention to detail, its extensive use of visitas, manuscripts from the real hacienda, documents from the cabildos, and its numerous statistical compilations qualify the book as a useful tool for students interested in pursuing in more detail some of the themes mentioned there. Moreover, with commendable frankness, the author has presented his data in a way clearly indicating the gaps and errors to which they may be susceptible. It is from this careful use of sources that the book gains its usefulness as a pioneering guide to the topic.
In sum, Colmenares has given us a valuable addition to the field of colonial Spanish American economic and social history. His work is well documented, carefully presented, and convincingly argued. While the complexity of detail may discourage some, scholars can ignore the book only at their peril.
