Political Culture in Spanish America, 1500–1830

Jaime E. RodrÍguez O. is a research professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of several books, including “We Are Now the True Spaniards”: Sovereignty, Revolution, Independence, and the Emergence of the Federal Republic of Mexico, 1808–1824 and The Independence of Spanish America.

• List of TablesPrefaceA Note on UsageIntroduction1. The Nature of Representation in New Spain2. The Origins of the Quito Revolution of 18093. Clerical Culture in the Kingdom of Quito4. Citizens of the Spanish Nation5. The Emancipation of America6. U.S. Independence and Spanish American Independence7. Caudillos and Historians8. New Directions and Old QuestionsSource AcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

"This delightful book forces us to rethink much of what we thought we knew about politics and political culture in Spanish America from conquest to independence."-Sean T. Perrone, Sixteenth Century Journal "Distinguished historian [RodrÍguez O's] documentation of extensive Indian participation in the political process in Ecuador following the crisis of 1808 warrants special mention. Clearly written, thoughtful, and persuasive, this important volume belongs in every college and university library."-M. A. Burkholder, Choice "RodrÍguez demonstrates how different social groups referred to the traditional political culture to defend their interests and improve their social position once the Spanish monarchy evolved from an absolutist regime to a constitutional one."-Abisai PÉrez, Southwestern Historical Quarterly "A leading scholar of Spanish American independence, Jaime E. RodrÍguez O. brings to the English-speaking world a collection of articles that he published in Spanish over the last two decades. The volume aims to put the political to the forefront of discussions on the creation of Spanish American nations, a long-term commitment of RodrÍguez O.'s and a complex matter worth discussion in the case of such an influential scholar."-MÓnica Ricketts, Hispanic American Historical Review “Jaime RodrÍguez O. is a great historian of the Iberian Empires, and once again he shows his command of the subject in his latest book, Political Culture in Spanish America, 1500–1830. It is an insightful and in-depth examination of independence within an Atlantic framework. This analysis is both beautifully written and exciting to read.”-Christoph RosenmÜller, research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History and professor of Latin American history at Middle Tennessee State University