Americanos: Latin America's Struggle for Independence (Pivotal Moments in World History)

A premier volume in Oxford's Pivotal Moments in World History series, "Americanos" offers an engagingly written, compact history of the Latin American wars of independence. Proceeding almost cinematically, scene by vivid scene, John Charles Chasteen introduces the reader to lead players, basic concepts, key events, and dominant trends, braided together in a single, taut narrative. He vividly depicts the individuals and events of those tumultuous years, capturing the gathering forces for independence, the clashes of troops and decisions of leaders, and the rich, elaborate tapestry of Latin American societies as they embraced nationhood. -- From product description In 1808, World History Took A Decisive Turn When Napoleon Occupied Spain And Portugal, A European Event That Had Lasting Repercussions More Than Half The World Away, Sparking A Series Of Revolutions Throughout The Spanish And Portuguese Empires Of The New World. These Wars For Independence Resulted Eventually In The Creation Of Nineteen Independent Latin American Republics. Why Americanos? -- Discovering América, 1799-1805 -- Pillars Of The Crown, 1806-1810 -- Not-so-civil Wars, 1810-1812 -- A Lost Cause?, 1812-1815 -- Independence Won, 1816-1824 -- Nation Building Begins, 1825-1840 -- Epilogue : The Legacy Endures. John Charles Chasteen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [189]-191) And Index. Why Americanos? Discovering América, 1799-1805 Pillars of the crown, 1806-1810 Not-so-civil wars, 1810-1812 A lost cause?, 1812-1815 Independence won,1816-1824 Nation-building begins, 1824-1850 The legacy endures. Preface. Discovering America, 1799-1805. Pillars of the Crown, 1806-1810. Not-so-Civil Wars, 1810-1812. A Lost Cause?, 1812-1815. Independence Won, 1816-1824. Nation-Building Begins, 1824-1850