The colonial Spanish-American city : urban life in the age of Atlantic capitalism / by Jay Kinsbruner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kinsbruner, Jay.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cities and towns--Latin America--History.

Cities and towns.

City and town life--Latin America--History.

City and town life.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (199 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The colonial Spanish-American city, like its counterpart across the Atlantic, was an outgrowth of commercial enterprise. A center of entrepreneurial activity and wealth, it drew people seeking a better life, with more educational, occupational, commercial, bureaucratic, and marital possibilities than were available in the rural regions of the Spanish colonies. Indeed, the Spanish-American city represented hope and opportunity, although not for everyone. In this authoritative work, Jay Kinsbruner draws on many sources to offer the first history and interpretation in English of the colonial Spanish-American city. After an overview of pre-Columbian cities, he devotes chapters to many important aspects of the colonial city, including its governance and administrative structure, physical form, economy, and social and family life. Kinsbruner's overarching thesis is that the Spanish-American city evolved as a circumstance of trans-Atlantic capitalism. Underpinning this thesis is his view that there were no plebeians in the colonial city. He calls for a class interpretation, with an emphasis on the lower-middle class. His study also explores the active roles of women, many of them heads of households, in the colonial Spanish-American city.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A Note about the Terms ‘‘Town Council,’’ ‘‘Stores,’’ and ‘‘Shops’’

Chapter 1 The Colonial City by Definition and Origin

Chapter 3 The Colonial City Ordained and Structured

Chapter 4 The Administration of the Colonial City

Chapter 5 The City Visualized

Chapter 6 The Urban Economy

Chapter 7 Urban Society

Chapter 8 Caste and Class in the Urban Context

Chapter 9 The Urban Family

Chapter 10 The Urban Dialogue

Chapter 11 Conclusion: The Paradox

Epilogue

Appendix A Comparison of Key Elements in the Ordenanzas of 1573 and in Vitruvius

Notes

Glossary

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 157-171) and index.

ISBN:

0-292-79699-4

OCLC:

560338550