Josep Fradera Livres

Historians view the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as a pivotal moment when imperial monarchies collapsed and modern nations emerged. This examination focuses on four modern powers—Great Britain, France, Spain, and the United States—analyzing how the history of monarchical empires influenced these new nations after the revolutionary cycles in Europe and America. Josep Fradera explores the transition, emphasizing the relationships between imperial centers and their territories, along with the evolving distinctions between citizens and subjects. He argues that the struggle from the Seven Years' War to the twentieth century revolved around governing diverse populations, with empires seeking domination through representation or its denial. Notably, Napoleon's "special laws" allowed France to reinstate slavery in its Caribbean territories, while the Spanish and Portuguese constitutions adopted similar principles in the 1830s. The United States applied comparable guidelines to differentiate between states, territories, and Indian reservations, and the British ruled their dominions and colonies in a similar fashion. The resulting mix of indigenous peoples, European-origin populations, slaves, and immigrants created unequal political relations. Fradera examines both political transformations and their social foundations, offering a fresh perspective on the evolution of nations from empires and the impact of this intert