Patriarch and Folk: The Emergence of Nicaragua, 1798-1858

Burns shows how Nicaragua's elite was able to consolidate control of the state and form a stable government, but at the same time began the destruction of the rich folk culture of the Indians, eventually reducing them to an impoverished and powerless agrarian proletariat. He provides valuable insight into Nicaraguan society of the time, of both the elite and the folk, including a perceptive section on the status and activities of women and the family in society.