The Independence of Mexico and the Creation of the New Nation

The eighteen essays in this book are divided by time and content into three parts: the struggle for independence (seven); the creation of the new nation (seven); and “comparisons” between independence and the Mexican Revolution (four). While no single essay penetrates the “independence barrier” very far, the reader can do so, especially with the help of the work done on debt and finance by John TePaske (1719-1817) and Barbara Tenenbaum (1821-23) and the essay by Jaime Rodriguez (1800-1828). The most enlightening summaries are Christon Archer’s on Calleja and counterinsurgency and Timothy Anna’s on Iturbide. (Kudos to Hugh Hamill for coining a term that best defines those of us born elsewhere who persist in our fascination with the study of Mexican history: GASPS [Gringo Anglo-Saxon Protestants].) This book deals with many worthwhile topics and belongs on the shelves of colonialists and those who study the new Mexican nation.