| Abstrakt: |
As the emergent nations of Latin America struggled in the early nineteenth century to throw off the dead weight of Spanish and Portuguese imperialism, their quest for political independence ushered in a new era of economic and cultural links with the rest of Europe. Free at last from restrictive ties to Spain and Portugal, the new nations of the continent were at liberty to establish trade, investment and cultural links with partners of their choice. Keen to modernise their societies after centuries of stagnation under peninsular paternalism, the creole elites of Latin America looked abroad for appropriate models. While the Unites States and France seemed to furnish the most intriguing examples of modern statehood, it was Britain that exercised the greatest influence in the short term. This was due, in no small measure, to the close relations many of the independence leaders forged with Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |
