Economic Growth and the Creation of the Vecino Homeland in New México, 1780-1820

Ross Frank

doi:10.3989/revindias.1996.i208.805

Abstract

Much of the literature on the history of New Mexico assumes that the region is culturally distinctive, while missing the true historical source of its uniqueness. This essay argues that nuevomexicanos emerged from late colonial New Mexico as a distinctive group of Vecinos largely due to a system of long-distance trade that expanded rapidly after 1786 until the outbreak of violence in Mexico in 1810. The dynamic vitality of Vecino culture, and many of its distinctive elements, proceeded directly from an era of economic activity in New Mexico at the end of the eighteenth century.

Highlights

Much of the literature on the history 01 New Mexico assumes that the region is culturally distinctive, while missing the true historical source
This essay argues that nuevomexicanos emerged [rom late colonial New Mexico as a distinctive group of Vecinos largely due to a system of long-distance trade that expanded rapidly ajter 1786 until the outbreak of violence in Mexico in 1810
A much earlier version of paper was presented at the VIII Conference 01' Mexican North American Historians, San Diego, October 1990 and at the Southwestern Social Science Association Conference (San Antonio, 1991)

Summary

Introduction

Much of the literature on the history 01 New Mexico assumes that the region is culturally distinctive, while missing the true historical source. (c) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Licencia Creative Commons 3.0 España (by-nc) http://revistadeindias.revistas.csic.es judges and the right to the ecclesiastical tithe, ten percent of the province's annual production, which the Church collected in 1732 for the first time since the reconquest.

Results

Conclusion