This book offers an examination of everyday life in the Iberian colonies of Central and South America--the indigenous peoples, their Spanish and Portuguese colonizers, and the Africans brought over as slaves.

Drawing on a wealth of primary documents and recent research, Daily Life in Colonial Latin America gives readers a genuine sense of everyday living in Central and South America, from the age of the great explorers in the 16th century to the beginning of the era of independence three centuries later.

Daily Life in Colonial Latin America considers the full range of people caught up in the sweep of history during this pivotal time--Indians, Spanish and Portuguese settlers, Africans brought to the region as slaves, Whites and Mestizos, and women and children. By focusing on the lives of those often overshadowed by history, the book offers a new way of understanding how peoples from the Iberian peninsula, sub-Saharan Africa, and the western hemisphere interacted to produce a uniquely Latin American culture.

Ann Jefferson, PhD, is a lecturer in the history department at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and received her degree in history with a focus on Latin America from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Paul Lokken, PhD, is associate professor of history at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI, and received his degree in Latin American history from the University of Florida.