This book explores the life and times of Ecuador's most controversial politician within the broader context of the new political history, addressing five major themes of nineteenth-century Latin American history: the creation of political networks, the divisiveness of regionalism, the bitterness of the liberal-conservative ideological divide, the complicating problem of caudillismo, and the quest for progress and modernization.

Two myths traditionally associated with Garcia Moreno's rule are debunked. The first is that he created a theocracy in Ecuador. Instead, the book...

The only comprehensive history of Andean South America from initial settlement to the present, this useful book focuses on Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, the four countries where the Andes have played a major role in shaping history.

Although Henderson emphasizes the period since the winning of independence in 1825, he argues that the region's republican history cannot be explained without a clear understanding of what happened in the pre-Hispanic and colonial eras Henderson carefully explores the complex relationship between the Andean peoples and their land up until the fall of...