Table of Contents

Worlds apart; first encounters; foundations of empire - Florida and New Mexico; "Conquistadores of the Spirit"; exploitation, contention and rebellion; imperial rivalry, stagnation and the fortunes of war; Indian raiders and the reorganization of frontier defenses; forging a transcontinental empire - New California to the Floridas; improvisations and retreats - the empire lost; frontiers and frontier peoples transformed; the Spanish legacy and the historical imagination.

Reviews

Weber presents a balanced and thorough history of Spanish exploration and settlement from Ponce de Leon's landing in 1513 to the end of Spain's North American empire in 1821. Most of the book is devoted to Spain's political and military activities in North America. One chapter traces the social history of Spaniards in the New World while the last chapter explores history's verdict of Spain's treatment of colonists and Indians. Illustrations, including photographs and line drawings, add little to the text, but the numerous maps are useful. There are extensive footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography. Recommended for academic libraries or public libraries with large American history collections. Index not seen.-- Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist . P.L., Metamora