Introduction and Chapter One

I asked myself a lot of questions while reading chapter one of the text book. most of them are in regards to power relations between the criollos, Spain, and the communities of people who held little power in the realm of the colonial states. I agree with the notion that history reflects the view of those in power. Even within the textbook, the three documents provided were composed by people in powerful positions. Is this because, at the time, those who were not in power were mostly illiterate? I suppose this would also be a form of dominance imposed by the criollos. Another question that came up for me is, when did the Spanish elite form an identity that was inclusive of the indigenous peoples of  the new world? was this because of the rise of numbers in of people with mixed race? was this sense of unity authentic? or was it for political purposes only in the interest of the criollos? the text books states that Simon Bolivar revised his vision and "opposed slavery and proposed the distribution of land to those who fought for independence, but also favored heavy restrictions on suffrage and believed in a strong, almost dictatorial presidency". I am also curious, when the criollos felt they were being mistreated by the powers in their mother land, did they then begin to consider their own imperial dominance towards certain communities of the colonies? it is difficult for me to imagine life as it was at the time of struggle for independence. Certain texts like the ones presented in the textbook open a window to a small portion of understanding of what was going on. I agree with the author that history is fragmentary. I don't think that we can form an understanding from only one side of a multitude of experiences and power struggles.