Death in Old Mexico - Softcover

Von Germeten, Nicole

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1009261509 ISBN 13: 9781009261500

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2023

Synopsis

In a Mexico City mansion on October 23, 1789, Don Joaquín Dongo and ten of his employees were brutally murdered by three killers armed with machetes. Investigators worked tirelessly to find the perpetrators, who were publicly executed two weeks later. Labelled the 'crime of the century,' these events and their aftermath have intrigued writers of fiction and nonfiction for over two centuries. Using a vast range of sources, Nicole von Germeten recreates a paper trail of Enlightenment-era greed and savagery, and highlights how the violence of the Mexican judiciary echoed the acts of the murderers. The Spanish government conducted dozens of executions in Mexico City's central square in this era, revealing how European imperialism in the Americas influenced perceptions of violence and how it was tolerated, encouraged, or suppressed. An evocative history, Death in Old Mexico provides a compelling new perspective on late colonial Mexico City.

About this title

About the Author

Nicole von Germeten is an Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University. She has written extensively on the history of crime, violence, gender, and sexuality in Latin America.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009261509
• ISBN 13: 9781009261500
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 286