Chapter 7

The Bourbon Reforms and Spanish America

The following material is designed to help you sort out the major themes and important information in our textbook Benjamin Keen, A History of Latin America, 5^th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996). You will be quizzed over this material in class. Also use this information as a study guide to prepare for the exam.

Learning Objectives

After you have read and studied Chapter 7, you should be able to:

1. Explain why the Bourbon era marked a turning point in Spanish and Spanish American history.
2. Assess the degree to which the Bourbon effort at national reconstruction was successful.
3. Explain why the Bourbon reforms heightened rather than reduced creole discontent with Spanish rule.
4. Explain why the Bourbon era saw the largest scale popular revolts in colonial history.

Chapter Summary

The chapter opens with a survey of the Bourbon economic and political reforms. The impact of the reforms on the colonial economy and society are emphasized. The achievements and limitations of colonial culture are then discussed, with special attention to the advent of the Enlightenment and its relationship to the rise of creole nationalism. An overview of changes in late colonial society is followed by an account of the two great popular revolts: the revolt of Tupac Amaru in Peru and that of the Comuneros in Colombia.

Identification Terms

Be sure that you are able to identify and explain the historical significance of each of each of these terms from this chapter.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. This material is presented as a study guide exclusively for the use of students in Latin American History at Illinois State University. Please direct any questions to Marc Becker at mbecker@ilstu.edu.