Within just a generation or two of its arrival, print had become a ubiquitous and spirited part of Spain and Portugal's urban cultures. It serviced an ever-expanding reading public, as well as many and varied practical quotidian needs. Its impact on society was multi-dimensional and complex, and...

"This book addresses the negotiation of categorizations in colonial societies in Spanish America from a new vantage point: fiscality. In early modern empires (poll) taxes were a significant factor to organize and perpetuate social inequalities. By this, fiscal categorizations had very concrete...

Empires that bleed -- Capitalism, slavery on imperial hinterlands -- Between war and peace -- The wealth of empires -- Spanish secessions -- Brazilian counterpoints -- Dissolutions of the Spanish Atlantic -- Crossing the Rubicon -- Revolution and sovereignty

Cover -- Contents -- Preface -- Prologue -- Part One: Metropole -- 1. A National Drama, Act II: Aranjuez -- 2. Bayonne -- 3. Dos de Mayo: Insurgency -- 4. Sevilla: The Struggle for Supremacy in Spain and New Spain -- Part Two: Colony -- 5. A Contested Authority -- 6. New Spain's Cuban...