I am a historian of early colonial Mexico (16th and 17th centuries) and the current Departmental Lecturer in Iberian History at Exeter College. My research focuses on the social history of Indigenous Nahua communities and the relationships they formed and negotiated with the early colonial state. In my current book project, I look at these interactions through the lens of alcohol production and commerce, examining how producers and sellers of the traditional alcoholic drink pulque defended their right to make a living in the pulque trade and how their actions shaped the development of colonial society.
During the course of my work on pulque, I also became interested in the connections between pulque makers, the maguey plants from which they made the drink and the social lives of their communities. My next research project will therefore look at the question of human-plant interactions in colonial Mexico more generally, shifting the narrative from the transatlantic migration of Mexican plants to consider their usage and value within colonial New Spain.
I have worked extensively in the Archivo General de la Nación (AGN) in Mexico City and am more than happy to advise anyone looking to consult its collections – which can be a tricky process! I can also speak to the steps involved in accessing Mexican archives more generally. I have studied, and continue to work with, materials in Nahuatl so any colleagues who wish to pick my brains about topics related to Nahuatl language are welcome to do so.