Rise of the Spanish-American Republics

What it is

This is a 1918 history book by William Spence Robertson, a professor at the University of Illinois. It tells the story of Spanish-American independence through the lives of its leaders, including a chapter on Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The scanned book is held by the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

Written over a century after Hidalgo's death, this book shows how later historians organized the story of Latin American independence around a set of 'liberator' figures, placing Hidalgo alongside leaders like Bolívar and San Martín. It reveals how his memory was shaped for an early twentieth-century English-speaking audience.

Look closer

• Why might an American historian in 1918 want to tell the story of Latin American independence this way?
• What does grouping Hidalgo with other 'liberators' suggest about how his role is remembered?
• What might this kind of later history leave out compared to firsthand accounts?