Bankruptcy of Empire : Cambridge University Press : 9780521142359 : 0521142350 : 22 Apr 2010 : Originally published in 2007, this book incorporates the rich literature on the history of the fiscal organization and financial dynamics of the Spanish empire within the broader historical debates on rival European imperial states in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The focus is on colonial Mexico because it served as a fiscal and financial submetropolis that ensured the capacity of the imperial state to defend itself in a time of successive international conflicts Whereas the monarchy of Charles III (1759-1788) was able to successfully meet the challenges of reinforcement of empire, the finances of the Spanish state began to sink under Charles IV (1789-1808). This collapse was caused by the enormous expense of waging successive wars in the Americas and Europe. In each war, colonial Mexico was a most important source of resources for the Crown, but these demands gradually outs