This is a study of the important but little-understood role of peasants in the formation of the Mexican national state--from the end of the colonial era to the

Purnell reconsiders peasant partisanship in the cristiada of 1926-29, one episode in the broader Mexican Revolution.

Between 1750 and 1850 Spanish American politics underwent a dramatic cultural shift as monarchist colonies gave way to independent states based at least nominal

"A watershed analysis--the new political history of Latin America begins here."--John Tutino, Georgetown University "Florencia Mallon's analysis of peasant poli