is an anthology of life stories of largely ordinary individuals struggling to forge a life during the unstable colonial period in Latin America. These mini-biographies show the tensions that emerged when the political, social, religious, and economic ideals of the Spanish and Portugese colonial regimes and the Roman Catholic Church conflicted with the realities of daily life in the Americas.

The essays examine subthemes of gender roles; race and ethnicity; conflicts over religious orthodoxy; and crime, violence, and rebellion, while illustrating the overall theme of social order and disorder in a colonial setting. Professor Andrien has carefully selected pieces to comprise a volume that is well balanced in terms of geography, gender, and ethnicity.

Written by established scholars, the essays are designed to be readable and interesting to students. Ideal for courses on Colonial Latin American history and the Latin American history survey, will interest as well as inform students.