This book presents the unpublished intelligence report “South America”, written in 1822 by Woodbine Parish, clerk at the Foreign Office, Castlereagh's private secretary and later the first British Consul to Buenos Aires. The document is transcribed, analysed and fully contextualised in order to foreground its decisive historical significance. The aim of Parish’s report was to outline British foreign policy and political strategy towards the South American revolutions at the final Congress of the Holy Alliance, held in Verona. Its publication contributes to the ongoing debates on Informal Empire, providing new empirical evidence that will enable us to better understand the social content of the political, economic and cultural relationships established between Britain and Latin America in the first half of the 19th century. The history of the document and of its author introduce the reader to the early stages of British intelligence and diplomacy with respect to an Independent Latin America, revealing the Foreign Office’s powers and limitations. Likewise, they offer an overview of the information about the South American revolutions circulating in London at the time, as well as the mechanisms used by the British government to obtain, classify and publicize this intelligence for political purposes. In this sense, the report makes evident the importance for the British government of knowing a specific historical and geographical reality in order to develop a foreign policy and political strategy. The book reflects on how this knowledge was mediated by class antagonisms and social relations (on a national and international scale) and was shaped by the stages of development of the productive forces in the regions involved. In this sense, studying the Parish family will allow us to more fully understand the role played by the increasingly influential social classes, in particular the merchants and manufacturers, in the development and implementation of a British foreign policy for Latin America.
Before there was Sim-n Bol'var, there was Francisco de Miranda. He was among the most infamous men of his generation, loved or hated by all who knew him. Venezuelan General Francisco Gabriel de Miranda (1750-1816) participated in the major political events of the Atlantic World for more than three decades. Before his tragic last days he would be Spanish soldier, friend of U.S. presidents, paramour of Catherine the Great, French Revolutionary general in the Belgian campaigns, perennial thorn in the side of British Prime Minister William Pitt, and fomenter of revolution in Spanish America. He used his personal relationships with leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to advance his dream of a liberated Spanish America. Author Karen Racine brings the man into focus in a careful, thorough analysis, showing how his savvy, firm political beliefs and courageous actions saved him from being the simple scoundrel that his dalliances suggested. Shedding light on one of history's most charismatic and cosmopolitan world citizens, Francisco de Miranda will appeal to all those interested in biography and Latin American history.
In a period of turmoil when European and international politics were in constant reshaping, immigrants and political exiles living in London set up periodicals which contributed actively to national and international political debates. Reflecting an interdisciplinary and international discussion, this book offers a rare long-term specialist perspective into the cosmopolitan and multilingual world of the foreign political press in London, with an emphasis on periodicals published in European languages. It furthers current research into political exile, the role of print culture and personal networks as intercultural agents and the dynamics of transnational political and cultural exchange in global capitals. Individual chapters deal with Brazilian, French, German, Indian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Spanish American, and Russian periodicals. Overarching themes include a historical survey of foreign political groups present in London throughout the long 19th century and the causes and movements they championed; analyses of the press in local and transnational contexts; and a focus on its actors and on the material conditions in which this press was created and disseminated. The Foreign Political Press in Nineteenth-Century London is a useful volume for students and academics with an interest in 19th-century politics or the history of the press.
In this biography of Joaquín de Arredondo, historian Bradley Folsom brings to life one of the most influential and ruthless leaders in North American history. Arredondo (1776–1837), a Bourbon loyalist who governed Texas and the other interior provinces of northeastern New Spain during the Mexican War of Independence, contended with attacks by revolutionaries, U.S. citizens, generals who had served in Napoleon’s army, pirates, and various American Indian groups, all attempting to wrest control of the region. Often resorting to violence to deal with the provinces’ problems, Arredondo was for ten years the most powerful official in northeastern New Spain. Folsom’s lively account shows the challenges of governing a vast and inhospitable region and provides insight into nineteenth-century military tactics and Spanish viceregal realpolitik. When Arredondo and his army—which included Arredondo’s protégé, future president of Mexico Antonio López de Santa Anna—arrived in Nuevo Santander in 1811, they quickly suppressed a revolutionary upheaval. Arredondo went on to expel an army of revolutionaries and invaders from the United States who had taken over Texas and declared it an independent republic. In the Battle of Medina, the bloodiest battle ever fought in Texas, he crushed the insurgents and followed his victory with a purge that reduced Texas’s population by half. Over the following eight years, Arredondo faced fresh challenges to Spanish sovereignty ranging from Comanche and Apache raids to continued American incursion. In response, Arredondo ignored his superiors and ordered his soldiers to terrorize those who disagreed with him. Arredondo’s actions had dramatic repercussions in Texas, Mexico, and the United States. His decision to allow Moses Austin to colonize Texas with Americans would culminate in the defeat of Santa Anna in 1836, but not before Santa Anna had made good use of the lessons in brutality he had learned so well from his mentor.