Summary of Colin Woodard's American Nations

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The first European subculture in the United States is found in the arid hills of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Spanish Americans have been living in this part of El Norte since 1595, and they remain fiercely protective of their heritage. #2 The Spanish received the largest bequest in human history from Pope Alexander VI in 1493: 16 million square miles, spread across two continents, and populated by perhaps 100 million people. They were ordered to convert all the inhabitants to Catholicism and train them in good morals. #3 The history of the Americas has been dominated by European and African actors. But there were many native cultures that had a higher standard of living than European ones. #4 The Spanish Empire’s colonial policy was to assimilate the Native Americans into Spanish culture by converting them to Catholicism and supervising their faith, work, dress, and conduct in special settlements governed by priests.