Stuart Schwartz (Books)

Stuart Schwartz Books

Stuart B. Schwartz is a leading specialist in the history of colonial Latin America, particularly Brazil, and in early modern expansion. His work focuses on a deep understanding of the historical processes that shaped this region and era. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Middlebury College and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, earning his Ph.D. in Latin American History from Columbia University. His expertise lies in analyzing the intricate social, economic, and political structures of the early modern period.

Blood and Boundaries - The Limits of Religious and Racial Exclusion in Early Modern Latin America

256 pages
9 hours of reading

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Spain and Portugal's policies of exclusion and discrimination based on religious origins and genealogy were transferred to their colonies in Latin America. Schwartz examines the three minority of groups of moriscos, conversos, and mestizos. Muslim and Jewish converts and their descendants posed a special problem for colonial society: Their conversion to Christianity seemed to violate stable social categories and identities. This led to the creation of cleanliness of blood regulations that discriminated against converts and other parts of the population. These groups often found legal and practical means to challenge the efforts to exclude them, creating the dynamic societies of Latin America.