Independence in Central America and Chiapas, 1770-1823

Description

Central America was the only part of the far-reaching Spanish Empire in continental America not to experience destructive independence wars in the period between 1810 and 1824. The essays in this volume draw on new historical research to explain why, and to delve into what did happen during the independence period in Central America and Chiapas. The contributors, distinguished scholars from Central America, North America, and Europe, consider themes of power, rebellion, sovereignty, and resistance throughout the Kingdom of Guatemala beginning in the late eighteenth century and ending with independence from Spain and the debate surrounding the decision to join the Mexican Empire. Their work reveals that a “conflict-free” separation from Spain was more complex than is usually understood, and shows how such a separation was crucial to late-nineteenth-century developments. These essays tell us how different groups seized on the political instabilities of Spain to maximize their interests; how Latin American elites prepared elaborate rituals to legitimize power dynamics; why the Spanish military governor Bustamante’s role in Central America should be reconsidered; how Indian and popular uprisings had more to do with tax burdens than with independence rhetoric; how the scholastic thought of Thomas Aquinas played a role in political thinking during the independence period; and why Mexico’s Plan de Iguala, the independence program promoted by Agustín de Iturbide, finally broke Central American elites’ ties to Spain. Focusing on regional and small-town dynamics as well as urban elites, these essays combine to offer an unusually broad and varied perspective on and a new understanding of Central America in the period of independence. List of Maps vii Preface to the English Edition ix Acknowledgments for the Spanish Edition xi By Way of Introduction to Central American Independence: A Historical and Historiographical Overview, by Aaron Pollack 1 Part I. Concepts, Ceremonies, Symbols, and Networks: Continuities and Change Representing Sovereignty in Oath-Taking Ceremonies: The Kingdom of Guatemala, 1790–1812, by Sajid Alfredo Herrera Mena 37 The Costa Rican Concordia Compact, 1821–1823: A Constitutionalist Perspective on Independence, by Pablo Augusto Rodríguez Solano 57 Theaters of Power in 1821: Swearing Loyalty to Independence in the Province of Guatemala, by Xiomara Avendaño Rojas 81 Bourbon Reforms and Enlightenment in Chiapas, 1758–1808, by Christophe Belaubre 103 Part II. Rebellion and Repression Local Powers and Popular Resistance in Nicaragua, 1808–1813, by Elizet Payne Iglesias 133 Totonicapán, 1820: One of the Tips of the Iceberg? by Aaron Pollack 158 The Myth of Bustamantine Terror, by Timothy Hawkins 187 Glossary 213 Bibliography 217 List of Contributors 243 Index 247