Born In Blood And Fire Chapter Summary

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Prompt 1: The Endurance of a Collective Conscience in Latin America The roots of Latin American history, as with all civilizations, are found to be deeply entwined with an enigmatic background of political turmoil and glory. Even in the midst of its brooding history of conquest and assimilation, though, there can be found hope and determination. Chapter Six of John Charles Chasteen’s Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America tells the story of the region’s nineteenth century, and how “Progress” became more than just a word to many. Growth and progress as a hegemonic concept for the people of Latin America had a powerful meaning, spelling that of communal aspiration, political development, and an eventual civil war. This chapter of Latin American history begins in the 1850s. After the heroic …show more content…
Chasteen explains that “In central and southern Mexico, rural society was organized around agricultural villages, and each of these around a church. Generally, the priest was a local leader and, sometimes, a petty tyrant. According to traditional Spanish law, still in force, the clergy enjoyed a broad legal exemption called a fuero, and parish priests often supported themselves by charging fees for their religious services,” (Chasteen 167). There was heavy integration between church and state, and because of this there became heavy conflict between religion and technology as well as the liberals and conservatives that these values belonged to. With political tensions rising, renowned liberals came into power such as Melchor Ocampo from Mexico, who was publicly atheistic in his religious beliefs, or Juan Alvarez, a figurehead for many after the recession of conservatism in the Mexican