Conquest and survival in colonial Guatemala: A historical geography of the Cuchumatán Highlands, 1500-1821

by William George Lovell

George Lovell's classic work examines the impact of Spanish rule on the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, an isolated region of Guatemala adjoining the country's northwestern border with Mexico. While Spanish imperialism left its mark, Lovell reveals that the vibrant Maya culture found in the Cuchumatan highlands was not obliterated and, although under considerable duress, survives to this day. This revised third edition includes a new preface, a chapter on native resistance to Spanish domination, an updated bibliography, and a new epilogue in which key events of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are also considered. In discussions that focus on land, settlement, economy, access to resources, and population change, Lovell exposes the colonial roots at the heart of Guatemala's ongoing political crises. Based primarily on unpublished archival sources, Conquest and Survival in Colonial Guatemala is a landmark work on Mesoamerica.

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985