Liberalism Stillborn: The Foundation and Suppression of the Economic Society of Guatemala, 1795–1800

Abstract The Economic Society of Guatemala was a late colonial organization that sought to introduce “enlightened” reforms to colonial Guatemala. At first approved by the Spanish Crown, the society presented papers that were at odds with Spain’s colonial system, especially one on why Indians should be allowed to wear European clothing. In response, the Crown ordered the society closed. This article explores the threat that the society posed to established interests in both Spain and the Americas, and it utilizes previously undisclosed primary documents in which the Crown charged the society with violating numerous laws as spelled out in the Recopilación de las Leyes de los Reynos de las Indias , first published in 1680. While the society was closed in 1800, its work influenced future liberal regimes throughout Latin America.