New Directions in Hispanic Atlantic History

This book brings the latest research and evolving historiographical developments on the Hispanic Atlantic world to a student audience. It highlights how the histories of diverse groups of individuals under Spanish rule were integral to Atlantic developments and dynamics. The Hispanic Atlantic was a profoundly interconnected and dynamic region whose history is central to understanding the broader Atlantic and the early modern world. Traditional histories of the Atlantic often marginalize the Hispanic sphere, while those focusing on Colonial Latin America can downplay the region’s connections to, and interactions with, the wider world. Examining the region's past from a broad range of perspectives provides deeper appreciation of its complexity. Topics covered range from imperial governance to Catholic practices and institutions; the importance of contraband and smuggling; the impact of Atlantic dynamics on Indigenous people and children; the challenges of studying the African diaspora; the ambivalence and contradictions inherent in hybrid cultures; the importance of transoceanic circulation of knowledge and plants; and new approaches to the collapse of Spain’s Atlantic empire and the abolition of slavery in the Spanish Caribbean. This engaging volume will be an exciting addition to advanced undergraduate courses on Atlantic, Global, or Latin American History.