Preface
I In which are described three voyages that changed the face of a
continent, the American population at the time of contact, the
demographic catastrophe of the Indios, the sorrowful increase of
the Africans, and the expansion of the Europeans
II A humble Franciscan, two combative Dominicans, an Italian
humanist at the Court of Spain, a remorseful viceroy, a naturalist
‘alcade’, a Europeanized Inca and an Inca fallen on hard times, a
conquistador observer... different witnesses and a common analysis
of the catastrophe
III A tireless traveler disrupts a continent, but a quarter century
too late. From the Caribbean to Perú: a brief history of a long
voyage and of the suspected assassin of Huayna Capac, father of
Atahuallpa. The true and presumed sins of smallpox and other crowd
diseases
IV A golden nose ring and the tragic destiny of the Taíno. An Indio
follows a deer and discovers a mountain of silver. A people in
constant movement, over 1000 miles and at an elevation of 4000
meters, and the wealth of Potosí. Deeds and misdeeds of gold and
silver
V Hispaniola, the territorial paradise of Columbus and the
imagination of modern scholars. One hundred thousand or ten million
Taíno? The catastrophe of the Antilles as seen from close up and a
credible leyenda negra. People die while animals flourish
VI A great and rich city, dreamed of by Columbus and destroyed by
Cortés. The modern dispute over the population of Mesoamerica.
Tributaries, tributes, and population. Thirteen brigantines hauled
overland and a tunnel in the rock. Men and beasts
VII The Incas and many millions of subjects. A quarter century of
wars: Indios versus Indios, Spaniards versus Indios, Spaniards
versus Spaniards. ‘Quipu’ pen and ink. A viceroy who counts,
measures and acts. Epidemics: the moderns debate them, the ancients
ignore them
VIII Colonists and ‘Paulists’ hunting down Guaraní between the
Paraná and the Uruguay. One hundred Jesuits for 100,000 Indios.
Steel axes and security in exchange for Christian habits. Monogamy
and reproduction stronger than crowd diseases
Epilog
Appendices
Tables
Figures
Notes
Chronology
Glossary
Note on Illustrations
Index
Massimo Livi Bacci is Professor of Demography at the University of Florence.
"An impressive argument for a more complex way of understanding the
conquest of what is now Latin America than the single-cause
explanations that have been dominant for the past several
decades. The translation is lucid and easy to follow, and the
generous contemporary illustrations of the life of the Indios at
the time of conquest further enrich the text."
Population Studies "An excellent study ... the book provides fresh
insights into one of the most catastrophic episodes of early modern
history and the narrative thrust of the work makes it very
readable."
Historical Association "Well-illustrated, useful and balanced ...
an excellent provocative volume which should have wide appeal."
European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies "Bacci
makes a significant contribution and should be applauded for
tackling a difficult academic question. [He] commendably moves the
discussion away from singular epidemiological explanations and
refocuses debate on the multiple means and various trajectories
involced in the conquest of indigenous peoples."
American Historical Review "Massimo Livi-Bacci's Conquest is a
brilliant, fascinating history of the demographic catastrophe that
enveloped the New World after 1492. Thickly illustrated with the
artistic visions and voices of native peoples, it is the most
even-handed, comprehensive narrative available - now in a
lively, fluid English translation. Livi Bacci examines the evidence
with the eye of a seasoned detective, solving a series of
mysteries - in the West Indies, Mexico, Peru, and the Río de
la Plata. Along the way, he finds much previously overlooked
evidence, which he ingenuously assembles into a compelling, nuanced
interpretation."
Robert McCaa, University of Minnesota "Was the decay of the
Amerindian population man-made, or was it brought about by the
uncontrolled spread of pathogens or some other factor? Massimo Livi
Bacci, a world-leading demographer, joins, in the present
translation of his well-read book, the centuries-long debate on the
extent and the causes of the post-Conquest collapse, adding to the
discussion fresh insights based on his expertise in population
studies and on a judicious and thorough historical research."
Nicolás Sánchez-Albornoz, New York University
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