DOCSLIB.ORG

Reception and Reaction to French Enlightenment and Revolution in Late Colonial/Early Independent Spanish America: New Granada, Peru and Venezuela 1790-1812

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reception and Reaction to French Enlightenment and Revolution in Late Colonial/Early Independent Spanish America: New Granada, Peru and Venezuela 1790-1812 Reception and Reaction to French Enlightenment and Revolution in late colonial/early independent Spanish America: New Granada, Peru and Venezuela 1790-1812 Richard Wallace, BA. Dissertation submitted to the University of Nottingham for the Degree of Master of Research September 2007 1 Abstract This dissertation explores the reception of French Enlightenment thought and the reaction to French revolutionary events in late colonial and early independent Spanish America between 1790 and 1812, focusing on New Granada, Peru and Venezuela. The years leading up to the historical and political processes known as Spanish American Independence witnessed radical transformations; during this period accepted wisdom was questioned, new discoveries were made and questions of political rights were open to debate. This dissertation, through a close reading of the contemporary periodical press and early discourses of Simón Bolívar, assesses the dissemination of the French Enlightenment and news of the ‘Age of Revolution’ in colonial society. The initial rejection of Revolutionary events is examined in the Papel Periódico de Bogotá , whilst the Mercurio Peruano charts scientific discovery through the 1790s. Following the Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian peninsula, 1808, the Gazeta de Caracas is studied to demonstrate the change in attitudes and cautious desire for autonomy. Finally, the early writings of Simón Bolívar are used to assess the compatibility and appropriation of Enlightenment thought and revolutionary models within colonial society. It will be shown that a public sphere did exist amongst a small, but highly educated, colonial elite in the 1790s, and that French Enlightenment ideas had been transmitted to Spanish America and were in circulation. However, the arrival of the Enlightenment and news of Revolution in the Spanish colonies was partial and fragmented; some parts were strongly rejected whilst others were embraced. A detailed, logical development is recorded in the periodical press. Following the events of 1808, heightened Creole discontent and the acceptance of the principles of 1789 are shown to propel the Independence movement forward. 2 Acknowledgements I am grateful to the University of Nottingham Hallward Library staff and the British Library staff. Particular thanks are owed to Alan Biggins at Canning House Library. I would like to record my thanks for the advice I have received from Gabriel Sanchez Espinosa and Philip Deacon. I am especially indebted to my supervisor, Catherine Davies, whose knowledge and unreserved support has guided my research. 3 Abstract..................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 3 Introduction............................................................................................................... 6 Enlightenment Boundaries..................................................................................... 6 Research Context............................................................................................... 7 The Enlightenment and Revolution in France ........................................................ 8 Revolutionary Events....................................................................................... 12 The Enlightenment and Revolution in Spain ........................................................ 14 Reception of the Enlightenment in Spanish America............................................ 18 Enlightenment and Independence..................................................................... 20 Identity in Nineteenth-Century Spanish America ......................................... 21 Chapter 1................................................................................................................. 27 Reception and Reaction to French Enlightenment Ideas and Revolutionary Events in the Periodical Press of New Granada and Peru 1791-96........................................... 27 The Periodical Press ............................................................................................ 27 Sociedad de Amantes del País...................................................................... 29 Editors......................................................................................................... 32 Dr Hipólito Unanue – Aristio (1755-1833) ............................................... 32 José Rossí y Rubí – Hesperiophylo .......................................................... 33 José Ignacio de Lecuanda......................................................................... 33 Readership....................................................................................................... 34 Subscribers to El Papel Periódico ................................................................ 34 Subscribers to El Mercurio Peruano ............................................................ 35 Reception and Reaction to ideas and events ......................................................... 37 Questions of Governance................................................................................. 37 Enlightenment and the Subversion of Order ................................................. 37 France and Irrationality................................................................................ 39 The Barbaric Enlightenment ........................................................................ 41 Monarchy as an example of good Governance: El Papel Periódico .............. 44 Notions of Virtue ..................................................................................... 46 Republican Failings ..................................................................................... 51 Religion and Science ....................................................................................... 53 God All Powerful......................................................................................... 53 Defence of Religion to Maintain Order ........................................................ 59 Resistance or Attack .................................................................................... 62 Scientific Understanding increases respect for God...................................... 64 Favourable Reception of Scientific Enquiry and Innovation......................... 67 Agricultural and Economic Advancement ................................................ 69 Satire in Science; Medical Curiosities .......................................................... 72 Conclusions......................................................................................................... 73 Chapter 2................................................................................................................. 75 The Gazeta de Caracas and Simón Bolívar: Theory to Practice in Venezuela 1808- 1812........................................................................................................................ 75 1808-1812: Changing Political Environment ....................................................... 75 Political Events................................................................................................ 75 Simón Bolívar.............................................................................................. 78 Ideological Perspective and Problems .............................................................. 80 Gazeta de Caracas : A Political Tool.................................................................... 82 Origins and Aims............................................................................................. 82 4 Content........................................................................................................ 84 Editorship and Publication ............................................................................... 85 News from Europe: Allegiance to the Monarchy in ‘Las Dos Tiranías’............ 86 Difficulties forming legitimate Government................................................. 90 Importance of Patria: Precursor to Independence ............................................. 94 Increasing Uncertainty................................................................................. 97 Blueprint for Independence.............................................................................. 98 Independence Declared in 1811 ..................................................................... 104 Simón Bolívar ................................................................................................... 108 Genesis of Ideas............................................................................................. 108 Enlightenment Philosophes ........................................................................ 109 The Cartagena Manifesto, 15 th December 1812.......................................... 111 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 115 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 117 Pre-1808 Reception and Reaction ...................................................................... 117 Philosophical and Scientific Enlightenment ................................................... 117 Political Enlightenment: Natural Rights ......................................................... 118 Complex Impact ...........................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • "Patria É Intereses": Reflections on the Origins and Changing Meanings of Ilustrado
    3DWULD«LQWHUHVHV5HIOHFWLRQVRQWKH2ULJLQVDQG &KDQJLQJ0HDQLQJVRI,OXVWUDGR Caroline Sy Hau Philippine Studies, Volume 59, Number 1, March 2011, pp. 3-54 (Article) Published by Ateneo de Manila University DOI: 10.1353/phs.2011.0005 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/phs/summary/v059/59.1.hau.html Access provided by University of Warwick (5 Oct 2014 14:43 GMT) CAROLINE SY Hau “Patria é intereses” 1 Reflections on the Origins and Changing Meanings of Ilustrado Miguel Syjuco’s acclaimed novel Ilustrado (2010) was written not just for an international readership, but also for a Filipino audience. Through an analysis of the historical origins and changing meanings of “ilustrado” in Philippine literary and nationalist discourse, this article looks at the politics of reading and writing that have shaped international and domestic reception of the novel. While the novel seeks to resignify the hitherto class- bound concept of “ilustrado” to include Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), historical and contemporary usages of the term present conceptual and practical difficulties and challenges that require a new intellectual paradigm for understanding Philippine society. Keywords: rizal • novel • ofw • ilustrado • nationalism PHILIPPINE STUDIES 59, NO. 1 (2011) 3–54 © Ateneo de Manila University iguel Syjuco’s Ilustrado (2010) is arguably the first contemporary novel by a Filipino to have a global presence and impact (fig. 1). Published in America by Farrar, Straus and Giroux and in Great Britain by Picador, the novel has garnered rave reviews across Mthe Atlantic and received press coverage in the Commonwealth nations of Australia and Canada (where Syjuco is currently based).
    [Show full text]
  • Anales De Literatura Española Núm. 23, 2011
    ÚLTIMOS NÚMEROS PUBLICADOS DE ANALES DE LITERATURA ESPAÑOLA Narradoras hispanoamericanas desde la Independencia a nuestros días Anales de Literatura Española Nº 16 (2003). Serie Monográfica, nº 6 Edición de Carmen Alemany Bay Nº 23, 2011 (SERIE MONOGRÁFICA, núm. 13) Universidad de Alicante Literatura española desde 1975 Nº 17 (2004). Serie Monográfica, nº 7 Edición de José María Ferri y Ángel L. Prieto de Paula Romanticismo español e hispanoamericano. «Cantad, hermosas» Homenaje al profesor Ermanno Caldera Nº 18 (2005). Serie Monográfica, nº 8 Escritoras ilustradas y románticas Edición de Enrique Rubio Cremades Edición de Helena Establier Pérez Humor y humoristas en la España del Franquismo Nº 19 (2007). Serie Monográfica, nº 9 María angulo EgEa Hombre o mujer, cuestión de apariencia. Un caso de travestismo en el teatro del siglo xviii · María Edición de Juan A. Ríos Carratalá JEsús garcía garrosa La otra voz de María Rosa de Gálvez: las traducciones de una dramaturga neoclásica · Frédé- riquE Morand Influencias medievales y originalidad en la literatura gaditana de finales del setecientos: el caso de la Escritores olvidados, raros y marginados Nª 20 (2008). Serie Monográfica, nº 10 gaditana María Gertrudis de Hore · HElEna EstabliEr PérEz Las esclavas amazonas (1805) de María Rosa de Gálvez en Edición de Enrique Rubio Cremades la comedia popular de entresiglos · EMilio Palacios FErnándEz Bibliografía general de escritoras españolas del siglo Nº 23, 2011 xviii lizabEtH ranklin Ewis · E F l La caridad de una mujer: modernización y ambivalencia sentimental en la escritura · ariEta antos asEnavE La memoria literaria del franquismo femenina decimonónica · M c c Escritura y mujer 1808-1838: los casos de Frasquita Larrea, Mª Nº 21 (2009).
    [Show full text]
  • Comparison of Spanish Colonization—Latin America and the Philippines
    Title: Comparison of Spanish Colonization—Latin America and the Philippines Teacher: Anne Sharkey, Huntley High School Summary: This lesson took part as a comparison of the different aspects of the Spanish maritime empires with a comparison of Spanish colonization of Mexico & Cuba to that of the Philippines. The lessons in this unit begin with a basic understanding of each land based empire of the time period 1450-1750 (Russia, Ottomans, China) and then with a movement to the maritime transoceanic empires (Spain, Portugal, France, Britain). This lesson will come after the students already have been introduced to the Spanish colonial empire and the Spanish trade systems through the Atlantic and Pacific. Through this lesson the students will gain an understanding of Spanish systems of colonial rule and control of the peoples and the territories. The evaluation of causes of actions of the Spanish, reactions to native populations, and consequences of Spanish involvement will be discussed with the direct correlation between the social systems and structures created, the influence of the Christian missionaries, the rebellions and conflicts with native populations between the two locations in the Latin American Spanish colonies and the Philippines. Level: High School Content Area: AP World History, World History, Global Studies Duration: Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to: Compare the economic, political, social, and cultural structures of the Spanish involvement in Latin America with the Spanish involvement with the Philippines Compare the effects of mercantilism on Latin America and the Philippines Evaluate the role of the encomienda and hacienda system on both regions Evaluate the influence of the silver trade on the economies of both regions Analyze the creation of a colonial society through the development of social classes—Peninsulares, creoles, mestizos, mulattos, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Fiestas and Fervor: Religious Life and Catholic Enlightenment in the Diocese of Barcelona, 1766-1775
    FIESTAS AND FERVOR: RELIGIOUS LIFE AND CATHOLIC ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE DIOCESE OF BARCELONA, 1766-1775 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Andrea J. Smidt, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2006 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Dale K. Van Kley, Adviser Professor N. Geoffrey Parker Professor Kenneth J. Andrien ____________________ Adviser History Graduate Program ABSTRACT The Enlightenment, or the "Age of Reason," had a profound impact on eighteenth-century Europe, especially on its religion, producing both outright atheism and powerful movements of religious reform within the Church. The former—culminating in the French Revolution—has attracted many scholars; the latter has been relatively neglected. By looking at "enlightened" attempts to reform popular religious practices in Spain, my project examines the religious fervor of people whose story usually escapes historical attention. "Fiestas and Fervor" reveals the capacity of the Enlightenment to reform the Catholicism of ordinary Spaniards, examining how enlightened or Reform Catholicism affected popular piety in the diocese of Barcelona. This study focuses on the efforts of an exceptional figure of Reform Catholicism and Enlightenment Spain—Josep Climent i Avinent, Bishop of Barcelona from 1766- 1775. The program of “Enlightenment” as sponsored by the Spanish monarchy was one that did not question the Catholic faith and that championed economic progress and the advancement of the sciences, primarily benefiting the elite of Spanish society. In this context, Climent is noteworthy not only because his idea of “Catholic Enlightenment” opposed that sponsored by the Spanish monarchy but also because his was one that implicitly condemned the present hierarchy of the Catholic Church and explicitly ii advocated popular enlightenment and the creation of a more independent “public sphere” in Spain by means of increased literacy and education of the masses.
    [Show full text]
  • The University of Western Ontario Department of History History 3709E
    THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY HISTORY 3709E. IBERIAN EMPIRES: PORTUGAL, SPAIN AND THEIR AMERICAN COLONIES IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT, 1400-1810 T. 1:30-4:30 Prof. L.M. Hernández-Sáenz Off. Hours Mon., Wed. 1:30-2:30 STH 2124 [email protected] The role played by the Iberian nations, often neglected by historians, was pivotal in the development of the Western world. The Iberian kingdoms were the first “modern” nations to expand and control overseas colonies across the Atlantic and to trade on a global scale, and their experiences are vital to the understanding of the leadership of Europe in the centuries to come. The conquest and colonization of previously unknown territories and peoples forced Europe to re-think its religious concepts, geographic knowledge and legal principles that were then adapted and imposed on the territories under its control. This course will examine the formation of Portugal, Spain and their American empires from the 14th century to the early 19th century. It will start with the consolidation of the Iberian kingdoms into two separate monarchies and the factors that paved the way for their early expansion into the Atlantic and conclude with the colonies’ attempts at independence. Students will analyze the numerous scientific, technological, geographic, political and economic factors that contributed to this expansion as well as its resulting consequences. Although the focus will be on the Spanish and Portuguese American colonies, the role of Spain and Portugal in European politics and economy and their African and Asian possessions will also be analyzed. The comparison of the various colonial experiences will contribute to an understanding of the global political, economic and scientific role played by the Iberian world.
    [Show full text]
  • Encountering the Enlightenment: Science, Religion, and Catholic Epistemologies Across the Spanish Atlantic, 1687-1813
    Encountering the Enlightenment: Science, Religion, and Catholic Epistemologies across the Spanish Atlantic, 1687-1813 by Copyright 2016 George Alan Klaeren Submitted to the graduate degree program in History and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _______________________________ Chairperson Dr. Luis Corteguera _______________________________ Dr. Elizabeth Kuznesof _______________________________ Dr. Robert Schwaller _______________________________ Dr. Marta Vicente _______________________________ Dr. Santa Arias Date Defended: February 23, 2017 ii The Dissertation Committee for George Alan Klaeren certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Encountering the Enlightenment: Science, Religion, and Catholic Epistemologies across the Spanish Atlantic, 1687-1813 _________________________________ Chairperson Dr. Luis Corteguera Date approved: February 23, 2017 iii ABSTRACT During the eighteenth century, a wave of thought inundated the Spanish empire, introducing new knowledge in the natural sciences, religion, and philosophy, and importantly, questioning the very modes of perceiving and ascertaining this knowledge. This period of epistemic rupture in Spain and her colonies, commonly referred to as the Enlightenment, not only presented new ways of knowing, but inspired impassioned debates among leading intellectuals about the epistemology and philosophy that continued throughout the century. The previous scholarly literature
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Path for a State Religion in Eighteenth-Century Spain
    Bourbon Regalism and the Importation of Gallicanism: The Political Path for a State Religion in Eighteenth-Century Spain El regalismo borbónico y la importación del galicanismo: El camino político hacia una religión de estado en la España del siglo XVIII Andrea J. SMIDT Professor of History and Humanities. Geneva College Resumen: El siglo XVIII experimentó un marcado cambio en Abstract: In the 18th century, a major change occurred in the la cultura institucional española bajo el régimen de la dinastía institutional culture of Spanish governance under the Bour- borbónica. Burócratas profesionales –llamados a veces regalis- bon dynasty. Professionally trained bureaucrats, sometimes tas– estudiaron cuidadosamente las últimas tendencias en el referred to as regalists, carefully studied the latest trends in arte imperial de gobernar y en la retórica política. Envolvieron imperial statecraft and fashioned political rhetoric couched sus resultados en una terminología ilustrada de «progreso» in Enlightenment terms of «progress» to justify their politi- para justificar sus propuestas políticas, poniendo el acento cal moves, emphasizing the greater efficiency and economic en las promesas de eficacia y prosperidad económica de tales prosperity that such reforms would bring. Regalism in the first reformas. En la primera mitad del siglo, el regalismo llevó a la half of the century led to an embrace of Catholic Enlighten- acogida de la Ilustración católica y a una política pro-jesuita ment as well as a pro-Jesuit policy that expanded the crown’s que incrementó la autoridad política de la Corona sobre la Igle- political authority over the Catholic Church. But it was not un- sia católica.
    [Show full text]
  • 7.Stolley.Anejo 6
    Anejos de DIECIOCHO 6 (Fall, 2020) 85 “PEJE ENTRE DOS AGUAS”: MESTIZO SUBJECTS IN THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY HISPANIC EMPIRE1 KAREN STOLLEY Emory University How might a discussion of eighteenth-century Ibero-American identity contribute to our thinking about “Enlightenment Identities,” the organizing theme of the 2019 meeting of the International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, held in Edinburgh in July 2019? As the conference call for papers noted, the question of identity was much debated in the eighteenth century, “in ways ranging from the local, regional, colonial, national, federal, imperial, to the global.” Debates about identity in the eighteenth-century Ibero-American world were further shaped by notions of status and privilege that were grounded in a particular transatlantic historical context related to the evolution of Hispanic empire. Lived experience complicated enlightened philosophical thinking; practice complicated theory. Happily, scholars have come to appreciate the turn “from the theorized Enlightenment to the lived Enlightenment” (Astigarraga, López-Cordón and Urkia I:155).2 However, the specifics of how this turn plays out in Spain and its territories in the Americas are often overlooked in discussions of global Enlightenments, as readers of Dieciocho are well aware.3 This is my point of departure in this essay. The textual production of eighteenth-century Spanish America includes repeated references to mestizos —the mixed-blood sons and daughters of European-indigenous unions— that are often shockingly virulent critiques 1 This essay draws on a paper delivered at one of two sessions on Peripheral Identities in the Hispanic World at the meeting of the International Society for Eighteenth-Century studies (ISECS), Edinburgh, July 14-19, 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • 100 Años En Femenino Una Historia De Las Mujeres En España — Oliva María Rubio Isabel Tejeda (Dirs.)
    100 años en femenino Una historia de las mujeres en España — Oliva María Rubio Isabel Tejeda (dirs.) 0915_00.preliminares.indd 1 10/02/12 12:27 Exposición Catálogo Créditos — — — Organizan Edita © de la edición, Sociedad Estatal de Acción Cultural Española Acción Cultural Española Acción Cultural, S.A., 2012 Ayuntamiento de Madrid. Conde Duque © de los textos, sus autores Dirección científica © de las fotografías, sus autores Colabora Oliva María Rubio © de las piezas, sus propietarios Agencia Efe Isabel Tejeda © Agustí Centelles, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Comisarias Coordinación editorial © Alfonso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Oliva María Rubio Raquel Mesa Sobejano © Ángeles Santos, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Isabel Tejeda (Universidad de Murcia) © Archivo Fotográfico Museo Nacional Diseño Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, 2012 Coordinación general de la exposición gráfica futura © Cabello Carceller, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Ana Berruguete © Culture and Sport Glasgow (Museums), Carmen Marín (AC/E) Edición de los textos 2012 Ana Martín Moreno © Esther Ferrer, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Documentación © Eulàlia Valldosera, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 María Azcoitia Fotomecánica Lucam © Fondo Brangulí (fotógrafos), Ana Berruguete Arxiu Nacional de Catalunya, 2012 Anita Orzes Impresión y encuadernación © Fundació Josep Renau, Valencia, 2012 Paz Ridruejo Advantia Comunicación Gráfica © Getty Images, 2012 © Joan Colom, Colección Fundación Diseño de la exposición ISBN: 978-84-15272-20-5 Leona Foto Colectania, 2012 Depósito legal: M-6964-2012 © John Heartfield, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Montaje pp. 10-11: Manifestación de mujeres © Leonora Carrington, VEGAP, Exmoarte, S.A. y niños con banderas de Estados Unidos y Madrid, 2012 pancartas por el derecho al voto femenino, © María Blanchard, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Gráfica © Marín, VEGAP, Madrid, 2012 Cromotex Nueva York, ca.
    [Show full text]
  • Foreign Occupation and the Development of Filipino Nationalism
    FOREIGN OCCUPATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FILIPINO NATIONALISM A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by MATTHEW DAVID SHOUSE Dr. Robert Smale, Thesis Supervisor DECEMBER 2010 The undersigned, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled FOREIGN OCCUPATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FILIPINO NATIONALISM Presented by Matthew Shouse A candidate for the degree of Master of History And hereby certify that in their opinion it is worthy of acceptance Assistant Professor Robert Smale Assistant Professor Michael Bednar Professor Doh Shin ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following organizations for their support in the completion of this research project. I would first like to thank the University of Missouri for providing much of the resources necessary to complete this thesis and attain my degree. I wish to thank the Department of History for its financial support, namely by offering me a teaching assistant position. I wish to also thank the Missouri State Historical Society and the Western Historical Manuscripts Collection of Columbia, MO. Their dedicated faculty provided me with many primary documents pertaining to the U.S. anti-imperialist debates in the Senate and House of Representatives. I wish to also thank those individuals who made this project possible. I want to thank my academic adviser, Dr. Robert Smale, for all his guidance and instruction. I wish to personally thank the following professors for their various contributions to this thesis and my development as a graduate student: Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • 79651111.Pdf
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Texas A&M Repository CONFRONTING THE UNKNOWN: TEJANAS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF SPANISH AND MEXICAN TEXAS, 1735-1836 A Dissertation by CASSANDRA RINCONES Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Carlos Blanton Committee Members, Cynthia Bouton Kate Carté Engel April Hatfield Thomas Green Head of Department, David Vaught May 2015 Major Subject: History Copyright 2015 Cassandra Rincones ABSTRACT Confronting the Unknown: Tejanas in the Transformation of Spanish and Mexican Texas, 1735-1836 sheds light on Tejana legal and social roles in this tumultuous period. Despite great strides in the field of Borderlands history in recent years the field surprisingly lacks studies on women in early Texas. My goal is to help fill that void by illustrating women’s roles during the construction of and transition between empire to republic. Past studies place women in an overall narrative that includes them as a minor element to colonial life in Texas. My study places women at the center of the narrative, uncovering the major contributions they made to the Spanish and Mexican frontier. In addition, I argue that Tejanas exerted a great deal of agency on the edge of Spanish and Mexican society. Using court records I show that Tejanas were active participants in the legal sphere of colonial life. These sources reveal that Tejanas exercised more economic and political freedom under Spanish and Mexican control then they did under the Republic of Texas.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender and Enlightenment in Spain
    Smith.qxd 10/27/2005 10:24 AM Page 17 1 The Woman Question In an immense imbroglio I place myself. It is not only against the ignorant commoner with whom I enter contest: to defend all women comes to be the same as to offend almost all men, since rare is he that is not interested in building up his sex at the expense of the other. Benito Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro, Defensa de la mujer The prophetic opening lines of Fray Benito Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro’s Defensa de la mujer (Defense of Women), published in 1726, provoked con- temporary readers.1 Antagonizing and shocking some, persuading and rous- ing others, Feijoo’s landmark essay sparked a heated debate on the nature of women that continued well into the 1730s. Published in the first volume of Feijoo’s eight-volume compendium Teatro crítico universal (1726–1740), the Defense questioned the long-standing view of women as inferior crea- tures whose nature dictated their lowly station. That the writings of a sin- gle monk essentially revolutionized the discussion about women in Spain may seem surprising to modern readers, but scholars have uncovered at least twenty-one direct responses to Feijoo’s Defense, suggesting his con- temporaries found his ideas on women highly provocative. Feijoo’s writings, which often prompted this kind of public debate, came to occupy a central place in Enlightenment discourse.2 His Teatro crítico can be likened to Diderot’s widely read Encyclopédie (1745–1772) in terms of both its attempt to take on a broad philosophical agenda and its place as a defining text in the minds of his contemporary readers.
    [Show full text]