Coronado's Land: Essays on Daily Life in Colonial New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A.: Univ of New Mexico PrESS, 1996. Second Edition . Trade Paperback. Fine. 5 1/2" x 8. 183 Pages Indexed. Tight square book with no marks or stamps. Flawless interior text pages. What was daily life like in New Mexico 200 to 300 years ago? Marc Simmons, a leading historian of the Southwest, notes: I have long had a fascination for everyday things other historians neglect or overlook. In the twenty-five essays in this collection, he shares his careful re-creation of the everyday activities of Hispanic people of northern New Mexico. What people wore, when they shopped, how they amused themselves -- these are but a few of the commonplace activities considered here. In reconstructing the details of daily routine, domestic life, work habits, and customs, Simmons captures the precariousness of their lives: drought, failed crops, Apache raids, and accidents. Simmons' essays permit us to imagine what people long ago thought and felt, which is a considerable accomplishment. But he doesn't stop there: the final section in this volume offers a glimpse of the historian-at work. Entitled Reading History, these essays introduce three late eighteenth-century documents and provide readers with a primer in ~ understanding economic and social problems of the pa~ Written in the spirit that history should be interesting and informative, this volume will captivate all who read it.