Woodrow Borah – författare

Royal treasury records of annual auctions of Indian tributes are the best source of price history for sixteenth-century Nueva Galicia. Using this data, the author has determined that from 1557 to 1598 the prices of some commodities such as maize rose more sharply than in the neighboring Audiencia of Mexico, whereas other prices, such as those for wheat, fell. The prices in the great mining center of Zacatecas, especially, differed from those in both Guadalajara and Mexico City.

As Western Europe expanded its empires in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it came to dominate many peoples, especially in America, whose cultures and legal systems differed dramatically from its own. The resulting conflicts of both law and custom posed difficult problems: How could these conflicting laws and customs be adjusted within a common political administration? And, in particular, how could legal remedy be provided for groups of lesser political weight? Woodrow Borah vividly depicts one of the more unusual institutions that arose in response to these problems—the General Indian Court of New Spain. In what is today Mexico, the conquering Spaniards had at first attempted to preserve such Indian customs as were deemed not contrary to reason or Christianity. However, as interpreted by Spanish judges, so much turned out to be "contrary" to these standards that native customs were soon recast in largely Spanish norms. At the same time, the conquered Indians discovered the uses of the Spanish courts, unleashing a flood of litigation. The ensuing social and economic upheaval sparked great concern among Spanish administrators and jurists. The result was the establishment of the General Indian Court, a remarkably innovative special jurisdiction vested in the viceroy and corps of legal aides. Expenses were paid from a small contribution by each Indian family—in effect, legal insurance.  Woodrow Borah analyzes the kinds of cases that came before this court, the decisions it reached, and the policies underlying these decisions. He enriches this study by examining the separate but parallel structures in the Yucatan peninsula and on the seigneurial estate of Hernán Cortés, and by comparing the General Indian Court to the tribunals of Guadalajara, which had no similar special arrangements.The development of the General Indian Court and the relation of the legal aides to their Indian clients and to other lawyers form a complicated story of both service and exploitation and contribute an important chapter to the history of colonial Mexico.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1983.

Essays in Population History: Mexico and the Caribbean, Volume One brings together a series of seven essays that examine the demographic history of Mexico and the Caribbean. The essays are the result of years of research, focused primarily on the impact of European conquest on the indigenous populations of the Western Hemisphere, particularly in central Mexico. By examining a variety of archival sources and historical records, the volume addresses the complexities of historical demography, such as gaps in data and inconsistencies in tribute records. The authors' work spans several centuries, from the sixteenth century to the national census of 1960, offering a comprehensive view of the population dynamics in Mexico.The volume begins by detailing the methodology used in the study of historical demography, such as the creation of coefficients of change and the analysis of population characteristics like family structures and civil categories. It then presents focused studies on the population of different regions, including the Mixteca Alta and west-central Mexico, with comparisons to other areas in the Americas, like Hispaniola and Colombia. The authors explore how geography, climate, and regional histories influenced the patterns of population decline after European contact. The essays also examine how social stratification and tribute systems shaped the demographics of indigenous communities. This volume is the first of a planned series, and while it presents detailed findings, it also sets the stage for future research into other regions and time periods.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971.

Essays in Population History: Mexico and California, Volume Three is the final volume of the Cook and Borah Essays, marking the conclusion of the collaborative work of Sherburne F. Cook, who passed away in 1974. This volume features three essays that continue the research into the impact of European contact on indigenous populations, a theme central to Cook’s academic work. The first chapter focuses on determining the low point of the indigenous population of central Mexico, illustrating the dramatic population decline following the Spanish Conquest. The chapter draws from a key document that not only provides demographic data but also sheds light on the royal fiscal system, contributing to a deeper understanding of Mexico's colonial-era administration.The second chapter revisits the socio-economic conditions of central Mexico during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, particularly food production and nutrition. This essay builds on earlier anthropological studies and offers a revised theory on the widespread undernutrition experienced by the majority of the population. The final chapter shifts the focus to northern California, where Cook had long wished to apply the demographic analysis techniques used for Mexican materials. This chapter examines the registers of eight northern California missions, providing a truncated but insightful exploration of the impact of European colonization on the Costanoan Indians and other groups in the region. Although the study was not completed, it lays the groundwork for further research into the functioning of the California missions and their demographic effects. This volume, while concluding Cook’s work, also opens the door for future scholars to expand upon these findings.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.

Essays in Population History: Mexico and the Caribbean, Volume One brings together a series of seven essays that examine the demographic history of Mexico and the Caribbean. The essays are the result of years of research, focused primarily on the impact of European conquest on the indigenous populations of the Western Hemisphere, particularly in central Mexico. By examining a variety of archival sources and historical records, the volume addresses the complexities of historical demography, such as gaps in data and inconsistencies in tribute records. The authors' work spans several centuries, from the sixteenth century to the national census of 1960, offering a comprehensive view of the population dynamics in Mexico.The volume begins by detailing the methodology used in the study of historical demography, such as the creation of coefficients of change and the analysis of population characteristics like family structures and civil categories. It then presents focused studies on the population of different regions, including the Mixteca Alta and west-central Mexico, with comparisons to other areas in the Americas, like Hispaniola and Colombia. The authors explore how geography, climate, and regional histories influenced the patterns of population decline after European contact. The essays also examine how social stratification and tribute systems shaped the demographics of indigenous communities. This volume is the first of a planned series, and while it presents detailed findings, it also sets the stage for future research into other regions and time periods.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971.

Essays in Population History: Mexico and California, Volume Three is the final volume of the Cook and Borah Essays, marking the conclusion of the collaborative work of Sherburne F. Cook, who passed away in 1974. This volume features three essays that continue the research into the impact of European contact on indigenous populations, a theme central to Cook’s academic work. The first chapter focuses on determining the low point of the indigenous population of central Mexico, illustrating the dramatic population decline following the Spanish Conquest. The chapter draws from a key document that not only provides demographic data but also sheds light on the royal fiscal system, contributing to a deeper understanding of Mexico's colonial-era administration.The second chapter revisits the socio-economic conditions of central Mexico during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, particularly food production and nutrition. This essay builds on earlier anthropological studies and offers a revised theory on the widespread undernutrition experienced by the majority of the population. The final chapter shifts the focus to northern California, where Cook had long wished to apply the demographic analysis techniques used for Mexican materials. This chapter examines the registers of eight northern California missions, providing a truncated but insightful exploration of the impact of European colonization on the Costanoan Indians and other groups in the region. Although the study was not completed, it lays the groundwork for further research into the functioning of the California missions and their demographic effects. This volume, while concluding Cook’s work, also opens the door for future scholars to expand upon these findings.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.