Synopses & Reviews
Borderlands violence, so explosive in our own time, has deep roots in history. Lance R. Blythand#8217;s study of Chiricahua Apaches and the presidio of Janos in the U.S.-Mexican borderlands reveals how no single entity had a monopoly on coercion, and how violence became the primary means by which relations were established, maintained, or altered both within and between communities.
and#160;and#160;For more than two centuries, violence was at the center of the relationships by which Janos and Chiricahua formed their communities. Violence created families by turning boys into men through campaigns and raids, which ultimately led to marriage and also determined the provisioning and security of these families; acts of revenge and retaliation similarly governed their attempts to secure themselves even as trade and exchange continued sporadically. This revisionist work reveals how during the Spanish, Mexican, and American eras, elements of both conflict and accommodation constituted these two communities, which previous historians have often treated as separate and antagonistic. By showing not only the negative aspects of violence but also its potentially positive outcomes, Chiricahua and Janos helps us to understand violence not only in the southwestern borderlands but in borderland regions generally around the world.
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Review
"Beezley does an effective job reaching his goals, introducing readers to many of the important events, people, and themes of Mexican history in a well-constructed, fast-paced narrative. Recommended."--CHOICE
Review
"For those familiar with and fond of William Beezley's work, Mexico in World History will not disappoint. It contains the interesting anecdotes, cultural richness, and popular focus characteristic of Beezley's previous works presented in the same clear, approachable style...Mexico in World History is an excellent contribution to Mexican history, a shining example of the historiographical evolution of world history, and a useful reference for instructors." --Teaching History
"Beezley does an effective job reaching his goals, introducing readers to many of the important events, people, and themes of Mexican history in a well-constructed, fast-paced narrative. Recommended."--CHOICE
Review
"A thesis driven book backed by detailed narratives."and#8212;Wayne E. Lee, American Historical Review
Review
and#8220;[An] example of the violent peace that cultural differences and local goals can produce.and#8221;and#8212;Robert C. Galgano, The Journal of American History
Review
and#8220;This inaugural contribution to a new borderlands and transcultural series from the University of Nebraska Press provides a compelling microhistory while addressing big-picture questions about the region.and#8221;and#8212;Carla Gerona, Western Historical Quarterly
Review
"Chiricahua and Janos represents a valuable addition to the growing literature examining violence in zones of intercultural contact, both in the Americas and around the globe."and#8212;Paul Conrad, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
Review
"Built on solid archival research and making good use early on of Chiricahua oral tradition, Chiricahua and Janos adds to the growing body of United Statesand#8211;Mexico border lands studies focused on indigenous autonomy of action."and#8212;Jesand#250;s F. De La Teja, Hispanic American Historical Review
Review
and#8220;At a time when western historians have rediscovered the borderlands to great effect,
Chiricahua and Janos presents a valuable new framework for thinking about Spanish-Indian relations in the American Southwest. It is a substantial contribution to the fields of Borderlands and Native American history.and#8221;and#8212;Karl Jacoby, author of
Shadows at Dawn: A Borderlands Massacre and the Violence of Historyand#160;
Synopsis
Drawing on materials ranging from archaeological findings to recent studies of migration issues and drug violence, William H. Beezley provides a dramatic narrative of human events as he recounts the story of Mexico in the context of world history. Beginning with the Mayan and Aztec civilizations and their brutal defeat at the hands of the Conquistadors, Beezley highlights the penetrating effect of Spain's three-hundred-year colonial rule, during which Mexico became a multicultural society marked by Roman Catholicism and the Spanish language. Independence, he shows, was likewise marked by foreign invasions and huge territorial losses, this time at the hands of the United States, who annexed a vast land mass--including the states of Texas, New Mexico, and California--and remained a powerful presence along the border. The 1910 revolution propelled land, educational, and public health reforms, but later governments turned to authoritarian rule, personal profits, and marginalization of rural, indigenous, and poor Mexicans. Throughout this eventful chronicle, Beezley highlights the people and international forces that shaped Mexico's rich and tumultuous history.
About the Author
Lance R. Blyth is the command historian at U.S. Northern Command and a research associate in the Latin American and Iberian Institute at the University of New Mexico.and#160;and#160;
Table of Contents
Editors' Preface
Preface
Chapter 1: First Cultures and Indigenous Empires
Chapter 2: Conquest and Colony
Chapter 3: Independence and its Challenges, 1810-1844
Chapter 4: Embattled Mexico, 1844-1876
Chapter 5: Progress for Mexico and Some Mexicans, 1876-1911
Chapter 6: Revolution, 1910-1946
Chapter 7: Revolution for Middling Mexicans and its End, 1938-1982
Chapter 8: Contemporary Mexico
Chronology
Notes
Further Reading
Websites
Index