Synopses & Reviews
Mexicos struggle for independence was as much a series of civil wars and failed social revolutions as it was a war to separate Mexico from Spain. Some Mexicans fought to bring profound social change to the country, some to achieve autonomy, some for vengeance or booty, still others to maintain the status quo. After ten years of bloodletting, Mexico achieved its independence through a strange political compromise that resolved none of the severe problems that plagued the country. In
The Mexican Wars for Independence, the historian Timothy J. Henderson provides a comprehensive, dynamic, and insightful account of the era, and in the process deftly shows why the revolution failed to bring about meaningful and sorely needed reform. Tracing the conflict from its ambitious beginning in 1810 to the countrys independence in 1821,
The Mexican Wars for Independence makes sense of the complex and ambiguous conflict and its legacy, and, in so doing, forces a reconsideration of what independence” meant and means for Mexico today.
Timothy J. Henderson is a professor of history at Auburn University, Montgomery, and the author of several books on Mexican history, including
A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States. Mexicos wars for independence were not fought to achieve political independence. Unlike their neighbors to the north, Mexicos revolutionaries aimed to overhaul their society. Intending profound social reform, the rebellions leaders declared from the onset that their struggle would be incomplete, even meaningless, if it were merely a political event.
Expertly navigating through nineteenth-century Mexicos complex and volatile political environment, Timothy J. Henderson offers a well-rounded treatment of the entire period, but pays particular attention to the early phases of the revolt under the priests Miguel Hidalgo and José María Morelos. Hidalgo promised an immediate end to slavery and tailored his appeals to the poor, but also sanctioned pillage and shocking acts of violence. This savagery would ultimately cost Hidalgo, Morelos, and the entire country dearly, leading to the revolutions failure in pursuit of both meaningful social and political reform. While Mexico eventually gained independence from Spain, severe social injustices remained and would fester for another century. Henderson deftly traces the major leaders and conflicts, forcing students to reconsider what independence” meant and means for Mexico today. Timothy Henderson has a gift for writing history. The individuals, the battles, and the results remain the same, but his narrative has a fresh, exciting quality. His engrossing history will hold the attention of undergraduate students and grizzled experts. He has written the best short history available.”William H. Beezley, Professor of History, University of Arizona Timothy Henderson has a gift for writing history. The individuals, the battles, and the results remain the same, but his narrative has a fresh, exciting quality. His engrossing history will hold the attention of undergraduate students and grizzled experts. He has written the best short history available.”William H. Beezley, Professor of History, University of Arizona
This is a comprehensive and thorough treatment, even-handed and crisply written. Highly recommended.”Timothy E. Anna, Distinguished Professor of History, University of Manitoba
"In the second decade of the 19th century, while the United States attempted to solidify its fledgling republic, its neighbor to the southwest was engaged in a series of bitter internal conflicts that would ultimately result in its own independence. Unlike the American Revolution, though, the Mexican wars for independence lacked ideological foundation. Mexico also lacked a cohesive patriotic movement and sense of national identity that set it apart from the mother country. Timothy J. Henderson points out in this slender but cogent study of a period seldom studied by U.S. citizens that Mexico's deeper struggle has always been with itself. Its violent and painful break from Spain set into motion a tragic pattern of political and social confusion that continues 200 years later . . . Henderson does a splendid job of unraveling the factions and cabals as they rose, formed alliances with one another, or faded into obscurity . . . He presents a well-balanced and clearly argued case for his overriding thesis, which is that Mexico's problems, far from being solved by the Constitution of 1824 and complete independence from Spain, were, in a way, only beginning."Clay Reynolds, The Dallas Morning News
"The Mexican drive toward independence from Spanish rule was not a single event like the American War for Independence. Rather, Mexico's drive toward independence took a circuitous route, and it included a several civil wars, insurgencies, a revolution or two, and some major social changes. In The Mexican Wars for Independence, Timothy J. Henderson chronicles the events that led to Mexican independence. Henderson is a professor of History at Auburn University, Montgomery. He is a respected historian of Mexican history, and the author of several books on Mexican history including A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States. He has a knack for crafting narrative histories that are as engrossing as they are informative, and this book is no exception. With wit and a fine eye for detail, Henderson not only details the myriad of problems that Mexico faced on its move toward independence, but also the numerous factorsand individualsthat pushed the independence movement forward. He also details the social instabilities that impeded Mexico's move toward independence, including the social conflicts that arose between the various cultural groups within Mexico, such as the Creoles, Spaniards, Indians, Castes (mixed raced individuals), and Africans. He also examines the legacy that these conflicts still play today . . . Deadly, bloody, and socially divisive, Mexico's wars for independence marked a decidedly turbulent period in Mexico's history. In The Mexican Wars for Independence, Henderson paints a graphic portrait of the various conflicts that comprised the wars for independence and explains in detail the implications that they held for Mexican sovereignty and political and social stability. From beginning to end, The Mexican Wars for Independence is an edifying and informative book. It is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand Mexico's past, and its future."Herbert White, History in Review
"Henderson argues that Mexico's struggle for liberation from Spain that raged from 1810 to 1821 was not a single conflict but many. The author notes that the wars for independence created some of the bloodiest episodes in Mexico's history . . . [he] effectively untangles the independence struggle's complicated, intertwining strands by focusing on the major figures involved . . . Henderson fashions an accessible narrative with a canny blend of military and political storytelling. A solid overview of a decidedly difficult time and place, and a lucid introduction for those unfamiliar with Mexican history."Kirkus Reviews
"[The author] offers a good synthesis for the general reader of what is known about Mexico's wars for independence between 1810 and 1821. He illustrates how the policies and practices of the Spanish colonial authorities led to a stratification of Mexican society, which ultimately brought about demands for political and social reform, and how attitudes and events in Spain influenced Mexican politics, society, and the course of the wars for independence. The royalists, Creoles (Spaniards born in Mexico), castes (those of mixed parentage), and Indians had different objectives, but Henderson keeps it all straight and provides in-depth portraits of the major revolutionary figures, allowing readers to easily follow the changes in fortune and shifting alliances and objectives. Henderson also explains how the wars deepened the divisions that plagued Mexico and set the stage for the turbulent decades to come . . . this accessible overview [will be] useful to undergraduates. Highly recommended."Stephen H. Peters, Library Journal
"This perceptive history paints Mexico's 18101821 struggle for independence as a dark, dejected affair, tainted by massacres, famine and crippling contradictions. [Henderson] explores the difficulties facing successive Mexican insurrections against Spain's heavy-handed, parasitic rule, including ill-equipped and untrained armies and a fractious, brutal, often incompetent leadership. But the main problem, he contends, was the social chasm between the white Creole elite who led the rebellion and the harshly exploited Indian and mixed-race masses who manned their armies. Revolutionaries envisioned a new liberal order, Henderson argues, but feared to stir up the social resentments of their troops, whose attachment to king and church trumped nationalist sentiment. The result was an incoherent revolution torn between progressive and reactionary impulses that bequeathed a tendency toward unstable or authoritarian government. Henderson's concise, lucid narrative skillfully guides readers through these confused political currents while sketching vivid portraits of leaders like the rebel priests Hidalgo and Morelos. Henderson illuminates the fault lines in the Mexican nation through this trenchant study of its founding."Publishers Weekly
Review
“Well-balanced and clearly argued ... Timothy J. Henderson points out in this slender but cogent study of a period seldom studied by U.S. citizens that Mexico's deeper struggle has always been with itself ... Henderson does a splendid job of unraveling the factions and cabals as they rose, formed alliances with one another, or faded into obscurity.” Clay Reynolds, The Dallas Morning News “Timothy Henderson has a gift for writing history. The individuals, the battles, and the results remain the same, but his narrative has a fresh, exciting quality. His engrossing history will hold the attention of undergraduate students and grizzled experts. He has written the best short history available.” William H. Beezley, Professor of History, University of Arizona “This is a comprehensive and thorough treatment, even-handed and crisply written. Highly recommended.” Timothy E. Anna, Distinguished Professor of History, University of Manitoba Kirkus Reviews - L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Kevin J. Anderson - Katherine Kurtz - David Farland - Orson Scott Card - Simon R. Green - Kevin J. Anderson - L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - David Farland - Gilbert Taylor - Karen Karbo - Martin Arnold - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Mavis Reimer - Norman A. Lockman - Terrence Hackett - Shannon Mullen - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - Asbury Park Press - Chicago Tribune - USA Today - The Lion and the Unicorn - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - Time Out New York - Time Out New York - Library Journal - Cincinnati CityBeat - The Washington Post Book World - The Los Angeles Times Book Review - Booklist - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - Library Journal, Starred Review - Romantic Time Bookclub Magazine - Library Journal - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Well-balanced and clearly argued ... Timothy J. Henderson points out in this slender but cogent study of a period seldom studied by U.S. citizens that Mexico's deeper struggle has always been with itself ... Henderson does a splendid job of unraveling the factions and cabals as they rose, formed alliances with one another, or faded into obscurity.” —Clay Reynolds, The Dallas Morning News “Timothy Henderson has a gift for writing history. The individuals, the battles, and the results remain the same, but his narrative has a fresh, exciting quality. His engrossing history will hold the attention of undergraduate students and grizzled experts. He has written the best short history available.” —William H. Beezley, Professor of History, University of Arizona “This is a comprehensive and thorough treatment, even-handed and crisply written. Highly recommended.” —Timothy E. Anna, Distinguished Professor of History, University of Manitoba
Synopsis
Mexicos struggle for independence was as much a series of civil wars and failed social revolutions as it was a war to separate Mexico from Spain. Some Mexicans fought to bring profound social change to the country, some to achieve autonomy, some for vengeance or booty, still others to maintain the status quo. After ten years of bloodletting, Mexico achieved its independence through a strange political compromise that resolved none of the severe problems that plagued the country. In The Mexican Wars for Independence, the historian Timothy J. Henderson provides a comprehensive, dynamic, and insightful account of the era, and in the process deftly shows why the revolution failed to bring about meaningful and sorely needed reform. Tracing the conflict from its ambitious beginning in 1810 to the countrys independence in 1821, The Mexican Wars for Independence makes sense of the complex and ambiguous conflict and its legacy, and, in so doing, forces a reconsideration of what “independence” meant and means for Mexico today.
About the Author
Timothy J. Henderson is a professor of history at Auburn University Montgomery and the author of several books on Mexican history, including A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States (H&W, 2007).