There is a lot of good information in the article, but when I read about the superior behavior of the Spaniards vs British North America, I have to ask: Where did it lead? Why is British North America prosperous while the rest of the Americas are so depressed?
” Why is British North America prosperous while the rest of the Americas are so depressed?”
My guess is because British common law is a lot better than Napoleonic law. Countries that were once British colonies have common law and respect private property rights. Former Spanish and French colonies have Napoleonic law..guilty until proven innocent.
Culture.
Our North American ancestors did not see themselves as stealing land that they cleared and planted at great cost, using their superior tools, just because some Indian hunting parties occasionally passed through it. If you want a good example of theft, consider what happened when the Normans conquered England in 1066 and made serfs out of the entire indigenous population.
IQ. IQ precedes culture.
America has the greatest climate, resources and the immigrants are hard-scrabble escapees from oppresive countries.
The immigrants to Mexico and Southwere the elite of their home countries coming to establish same in Mexico and South.
America has English common law. The rest have euroweenie law.
That is why we flourish.e
My understand is the revolutions in Latin America against the crown were orchestrated by the elites of those societies. They never had any intention of including the little people into their rebellions.