Central America and its ill-fated federation (1824-1839) are often viewed as the archetype of the “anarchy” of early independent Spanish America. This book consists of two interralted essays dealing with the economic, social, and political changes that took place in Central America, changes that let to both Liberal regime consolidation and export agricultural development after the middle of the last century. The authors provide a challenging reinterpretation of Central American history and the most detailed analysis available in English of this most heterogeneous and obscure of societies. It avoids the dichotomous (Costa Rica versus the rest of Central America) and the centralist (Guatemala as the standard or model) treatments dominant in the existing literature and is required reading for anyone with an interest in 19th century Latin America.

Lowell Gudmundson is Professor of Latin American Studies at Mount Holyoke College. Hector Lindo-Fuentes is Associate Professor of History at Fordham University.

"While Central America has subsided somewhat as the focus of U.S. attention in the 1990s, the area continues to be studied on its own merits. In this volume the authors have taken a fresh look at the 19th century mixture of politics and economics and provided provocative insights into the vital interaction of political ideology and economic reality in Central America. This book brings together current research and new perspectives in a most persuasive fashion."

—Lawrence A. Clayton, editor of The De Soto Chronicles Vol 1 2