A Brief History of Central America

In the sun-drenched Central American isthmus—Guatemala’s misty highlands, Honduras’s banana plantations, El Salvador’s volcanic slopes, Nicaragua’s lake-lined cities, and Costa Rica’s stable democracy—Hector Perez-Brignoli offers the first English-language interpretive history by a Central American historian that pulses with vivid detail. He traces the 16th-century colonial rule that conscripted Indigenous communities and seeded stark inequalities, through the bold but fraught independence era and the turbulent collapse of the Federal Republic in the 19th century. Readers witness export coffee and banana economies blossom under oligarchs, leaving rural workers in grinding poverty. The narrative races into the 20th century’s waves of impoverishment that eroded liberal democracy like a relentless tide, posing urgent questions about Economic Justice and Political Justice today. With a concise, comparative approach, Perez-Brignoli shows how shared roots diverged into unique national paths, yet remain bound by resilient common struggles. Teachers, activists, and curious citizens will find this accessible yet profound guide a powerful invitation to rethink history, challenge inherited myths, and champion fairer futures across nations shaped by both fertile soils and entrenched injustice. Learn more to embark on the journey.