Thesis Title

Shrouded Voices: The Social Networks of Afro-Mexican Women in Seventeenth Century Mexico City and Veracruz

Author

Ursula Yoshiko Rall, Bates CollegeFollow

Department or Program

History

Abstract

This study explores the social networks of Afro-descended women in seventeenth century Mexico City and Veracruz. Through the close analysis of three Inquisition cases from 1627 to 1678 involving negra and mulata women, I trace the social networks of Afro-Mexican women in urban spaces. By exploring the social networks of Afro-Mexican women, I offer a contribution to our understanding of the impact of gender and casta on social interactions, the intersections between class and race in colonial Mexico, the social consequences of slavery, the impact of geographic mobility on the daily lives of Afro-Mexican women, and the diversity of the Afro-descended experience in the Spanish Americas. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the intersection of various factors including slavery, race, gender, and class affected the social lives of women of African descent. While gender and race may have shaped the lives of these women, other variables like status, class, and casta label also determined their social connections.

Level of Access

Restricted: Embargoed [Open Access After Expiration]

First Advisor

Melvin, Karen

Date of Graduation

5-2020

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Recommended Citation

Rall, Ursula Yoshiko, "Shrouded Voices: The Social Networks of Afro-Mexican Women in Seventeenth Century Mexico City and Veracruz" (2020). Honors Theses. 316.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/316

Number of Pages

104