The Origins of Bourbon Reform in Spanish South America, 1700-1763 - (Studies of the Americas) by A Pearce (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This book presents one of the first detailed analyses of the first six decades of Bourbon rule in Spanish America (1700-1763). Based on a wealth of archival sources in Spain and Peru and on a body of historical research that has transformed our understanding of this period in just the past few years, it turns existing interpretations on their heads, staking a claim for the significance of the early Bourbon era within the broad sweep of Spanish colonial history. Above all, it argues that the much better-known late-Bourbon program of reforms for the American colonies, associated primarily with the reign of the 'great reformer-king' Charles III, cannot be understood without reference to the half-century that preceded his accession to the Spanish throne"--

Book Synopsis

Integrating the political and governmental histories of Spain and the American colonies, this book focuses on the political and governmental history of the Viceroyalty of Peru during the 'early Bourbon' period and provides a new interpretation of the period's broader significance within Spanish American history.

Review Quotes

"Adrian Pearce's lucid analysis does much to enrich our understanding of the 'Bourbon century' of Spanish history. Through close scrutiny of politics and policies under the first Spanish Bourbons and an innovative emphasis on the part played by South American viceroys in initiating colonial reform, Pearce makes a powerful case for revising our preconceptions about the dynamics of reform in Spain's empire." - Anthony McFarlane, University of Warwick, UK

About the Author

Adrian J. Pearce is a Lecturer in Brazilian and Spanish-American History at King s College, London, UK.