The Cambridge Economic History of Latin America: Volume 1, The Colonial Era and the Short Nineteenth Century

An indispensable reference work for anyone interested in Latin America's economic development.

Victor Bulmer-Thomas (Edited by), John Coatsworth (Edited by), Roberto Cortes-Conde (Edited by)

9780521812894, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 December 2005

616 pages, 26 tables
23.4 x 16 x 4.5 cm, 0.957 kg

"On the whole, these volumes make for absorbing reading and provide wide thematic coverage embracing most of Latin American history."
Eric Van Young, Th International History Review

Volume one includes the colonial and independence eras up to 1850, linking Latin America's economic history to the pre-Hispanic, European, and African background. It also synthesizes knowledge on the human and environmental impact of the Spanish conquest, the evolution of colonial economic institutions, and the performance of key sectors of the colonial and immediate post-colonial economies. Finally, it analyses of the costs and benefits of independence.

Part I. The Economic Background: 1. The global economic history of European expansion overseas Patrick O'Brien
2. African connections with American colonization Patrick Manning
3. The pre-Columbian economy Rebecca Storey
Part II. Natural Resources and Factor Endowments: 4. Land use and the transformation of the environment Eleanor Melville
5. The demographic impact of colonization Linda Newson
6. Labor systems John Monteiro
Part III. Economic Organization and the Sectoral Performance: 7. Political economy and economic organization John Coatsworth
8. Agriculture and land tenure Carlos Sempat Assadourian
9. The mining industry Enrique Tandeter
10. Pre-modern manufacturing Aurura Gómez
11. Commercial monopolies and external trade Graciela Márquez
12. Money, taxes, and finance Carlos Marichal
Part IV. The Economic Impact of Independence: 13. The economic consequences of independence Leandro Prados de las Escosura.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], General & world history [HBG]