José de Bustamante and Central American independence

"Latin American independence histories of the last 150 years have tended to stereotype Captain General Bustamante, governor of the Spanish colony of Guatemala from 1811 to 1818, as a tyrannical archvillain who personified colonial oppression. Timothy Hawkins, in contrast, examines Bustamante and his administration within the context of preservation of empire, the effort by colonial officials and partisans to maintain the integrity of the Spanish empire in spite of internal and external unrest." "Based on extensive primary research in the archives of Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain, Hawkins's approach links the Central American experience to that of such areas as Peru, Venezuela, and Mexico that also responded equivocally and haphazardly to rebellious uprisings against colonial rule."--BOOK JACKET.