Latin America since Independence

This innovative text offers a clear and concise introduction to Latin America since independence. Thomas C. Wright traces continuity and change in five central colonial legacies: authoritarian governance; a rigid social hierarchy based on race, color, and gender; the powerful Roman Catholic Church; economic dependency; and the large landed estate. He shows that the outcomes of debate and contestation over these colonial legacies have been crucial in shaping contemporary political systems, economies, societies, and religious institutions in a richly diverse region. These unifying themes guide the reader through each period. The texts user-friendly illustrations, maps, chapter summaries, and suggestions for further reading enrich student understanding of a major part of the world.

Thomas C. Wright is distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Acknowledgments
Acronyms
Map of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
Map of South America
Introduction
Part I: Colonial Roots
Chapter 1: Origins of the Colonial Legacies
Part II: Independence and its Challenges, 1790s1870s
Chapter 2: The Independence of Latin America
Chapter 3: The Age ofCaudillos
Reflections on the Colonial Legacies, 1790s1870s
Part III: Exports, Oligarchies, and Yankees, 1870s1930
Chapter 4: The Export Economies
Chapter 5: Political Consolidation and Social Change
Chapter 6: Rise of the Yankee
Reflections on the Colonial Legacies, 1870s1930
Part IV: Revolution, Depression, and Cold War, 19301959
Chapter 7: The Mexican Revolution
Chapter 8: Depression, Political Change, and Cold War
Reflections on the Colonial Legacies, 19301959
Part V: The Era of the Cuban Revolution, 19591990
Chapter 9: The Cuban Revolution
Chapter 10: The Cuban Revolution, Latin America, and the United States
Chapter 11: The Reaction: Repression and State Terrorism
Reflections on the Colonial Legacies, 1959-1990
Part IV: Contemporary Latin America, 1990Present
Chapter 12: Neoliberalism, Democracy, the Pink Tide, and Other Developments since 1990
Reflections on the Colonial Legacies, 1990Present
Conclusion: Colonial Legacies and Todays Latin America
Bibliography
Index