Colombia Fragmented Land, Divided Society

by Safford, Frank; Palacios, Marco

• ISBN13: 9780195143126
• ISBN10: 0195143124
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-06-21
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Colombia: Fragmented Land, Divided Society is a comprehensive history of the third most populous country of Latin America. It offers the most extensive discussion available in English of the whole of Colombian history-from pre-Columbian times to the present. The book begins with an in-depth look at the earliest years in Colombia's history, emphasizing the role geography played in shaping Colombia's economy, society, and politics and in encouraging the growth of distinctive regional cultures and identities. It includes a thorough discussion of Colombian politics that looks at the ways in which historical memory has affected political choices, particularly in the formation and development of the country's two traditional political parties. The authors explore the factors that have contributed to Colombia's economic troubles, such as the delay in its national economic integration and its relative ineffectiveness as an exporter. The three concluding chapters offer an authoritative and up-to-date examination of the impact of coffee on Colombia's economy and society, the social and political effects of urban growth, and the multiple dimensions of the violence that has plagued the country since 1946. Written in clear, vigorous prose, Colombia: Fragmented Land, Divided Society is essential for students of Latin American history and politics, and for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the history of this fascinating and tumultuous country.

Table of Contents

Maps and Tables	vi
Introduction	ix
Continuity and Change in Colombia's Economic Geography: An Overview	1	(17)
Pre-Columbian Cultures	18	(9)
European Conquest	27	(8)
Colonial Economy and Society, 1540--1780	35	(19)
Crises of Authority, 1700--1808	54	(26)
Independence, 1808--1825	80	(24)
Bolivar's Colombia, 1819--1831	104	(28)
The Formation of New Granada as a Polity, 1831--1845: Origins of the Two Traditional Parties	132	(25)
Economy and Society, 1821--1850	157	(31)
The Liberal Era, 1845--1876	188	(51)
Neither Liberty nor Order, 1875--1903	239	(27)
The Republic of Coffee, 1903--1946	266	(31)
A Nation of Cities	297	(48)
Political Violence in the Second Half of the Twentieth Centrury	345	(26)
Selective Bibliographic Guide	371	(15)
Chief Executives of Colombia (1819--2001)	386	(4)
Credits	390	(1)
Index	391