Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain

The two-volume 1811 New York edition of Humboldt's account of Mexico, which Darwin later had with him aboard the Beagle.

Alexander von Humboldt (Author), John Black (Translated by)

9781108077897, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 November 2014

354 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2 cm, 0.45 kg

The acclaimed Prussian naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was referred to by Charles Darwin as 'the greatest scientific traveller who ever lived'. Several of his works were in the library aboard the Beagle, including the multi-volume Personal Narrative of Travels, two books on geology and Tableaux de la nature (all reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). Darwin's copy of this two-volume 1811 New York edition of Humboldt's Political Essay (originally published in French earlier that year) is inscribed 'Buenos Ayres', suggesting he acquired it there in 1832–3, without its accompanying atlas (forthcoming). Humboldt had spent a year in Mexico in 1803–4, and was struck by its 'civilization' as compared to regions of South America that he had visited earlier on his expedition. Volume 1 of his account contains a 'geographical introduction' and discussions of physical geography, agriculture, and the ethnic diversity, distribution and health of the population.

Preface
Geographical introduction
Book I. General Considerations on the Extent and Physical Aspect of the Kingdom of New Spain: 1. Extent of the Spanish possessions in America
2. Configuration of the coast
3. Physical aspect of the kingdom of New Spain compared with that of Europe and South America
Book II. General Population of New Spain: 4. General enumeration in 1793
5. Maladies which periodically arrest the progress of population
6. Indians or indigenous Americans
7. Whites, Creoles and Europeans, Negroes, mixed casts
Book III. Particular Statistical Account of the Intendancies of Which the Kingdom of New Spain is Composed, their Territorial Extent and Population: 8. Of the political division of the Mexican territory.

Subject Areas: History of the Americas [HBJK]