This book is one in a three-volume general history of Mexico, comprising (I) the PreConquest period to 1521, (II) the Colonial period from 1521 to 1821, and (III) the National period from 1821-present. These books give a comprehensive narrative and analysis of Mexican history, focusing especially on political, economic, and social organization. Balancing both a "'bottom-up" (popular) and a "top-down" (elite) perspective, they seek, where possible, to locate Mexico within broader, comparative patterns of historical change and conflict.