Bankruptcy of Empire: Mexican Silver and the Wars Between Spain, Britain and France, 1760-1810

ISBN-13: 9780521879644 / Angielski / Twarda / 2007 / 338 str.

Carlos Marichal

Opis

This book emphasizes that the Spanish empire remained the third most important European state in terms of fiscal income and naval power, and first in size of territorial empire, particularly because of its colonies in Spanish America. The Spanish crown was involved in four wars with Great Britain and two wars with France during the decades 1760-1810. Colonial Mexico financed most of these wars by remitting silver in the form of taxes and loans. The expenditures of the imperial wars were so great that they eventually caused the bankruptcy of both the Spanish American colonies and of the monarchy itself.

Recenzje

'In what by any standards is a major work, Marichal proves the extraordinary influence of Mexican silver in pan-American and European affairs at the turn of the nineteenth century. The Journal of Latin American Studies

Spis treści

List of tables and figures; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Resurgence of the Spanish Empire: Bourbon Mexico as submetropolis, 1763–1800; 2. An imperial state tax: the fiscal costs and benefits of colonialism; 3. Imperial wars and loans from New Spain, 1780–1800; 4. The royal church and the finances of the viceroyalty; 5. Napoleon and Mexican silver, 1805–8; 6. Between Spain and America: the royal treasury and the Gordon and Murphy Consortium, 1806–8; 7. Mexican silver for the Cortes of Cádiz and the war against Napoleon, 1808–11; 8. The rebellion of 1810, colonial debts, and bankruptcy of New Spain; Conclusions: the financial collapse of viceroyalty and monarchy; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.