Place
1013 E. University Boulevard Tucson, Arizona 85721
Description
The nineteenth century was a transformative time for Mexico. It began the century as Spain’s most prized New World colony and ended it as an independent nation in the throes of modernization and the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. Between its independence from Spain in 1821 and Díaz’s consolidation of power in 1876, Mexico experienced four foreign invasions, political chaos, economic doldrums, a series of constitutional crises, and growing social inequities. To capture the historical sensibilities of this time, we turn to the fascinating life stories of individuals and the historical contexts from which they emerged. Biography remains a favorite genre of nonfiction for bibliophiles and the general public alike. Compelling life stories transport readers to strange and familiar places, introduce historical context, and can promote empathy and a deeper understanding of seemingly disparate lived experiences. The history of nineteenth-century Mexico is no exception, of course, as it provides us with a series of interconnected lives and cultural experiences filtered through the disparities of power that fashioned Mexican society in the wake of independence and the violence and bloodshed that accompanied the forging of a new nation.