MEXICAN PEASANTS AND THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE: A TOUR

Abstract

This article reviews the historiography from 1980 on the peasant participation in
the armed movements in the rural areas of the New Spain between 1810 and 1821.
It also tries to explain the origins of the new interest in the subject that arose in the
decade of the 1980 and because the English-speaker historians were more interested
in the subject than their Mexican colleagues. It pays attention in the importance of
the social history of the colony, the international influence of debates on the
peasants movements which originated themselves in the North American adventure
in Vietnam, and the English-speaker fascination with the so call new cultural
history. It reviews a series of contributions done by historians of several countries
on the peasants’ attitude during the Mexican insurgency, including works of
Tutino, Hamnett, Van Young, Guardino, Escobar Ohmstede, Ortiz Escamilla,
Ducey, Guedea and Landavazo. It also describes some advances in compatible
areas like new works on the insurgent leadership and the insurgent speech. It
finishes with some opinions on the possibilities of advancing our knowledge of the
reasons for the participation farmer in the war of independence.