David Brading facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Brading FBA FRHistS
Brading in 2009
Born	David Anthony Brading 26 August 1936 London, England
Died	20 April 2024(2024-04-20) (aged 87) Cambridge, England
Nationality	British
Education	Pembroke College, Cambridge (BA, MA) Yale University University College London (PhD)
Occupation	Historian, writer
Notable work	Miners and Merchants in Bourbon Mexico (1971) The First America (1991) Mexican Phoenix: Our Lady of Guadalupe (2001)
Spouse(s)	Celia Wu Brading ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	Christopher James Brading
Awards	Bolton Prize (1972) Order of the Aztec Eagle (2002)
Scientific career
Institutions	Cambridge University Yale University University of California, Berkeley
Doctoral advisor	John Lynch
Notable students	Fernando Cervantes Eric Van Young
Influences	Knowles Elton Postan

David Anthony Brading (born August 26, 1936 – died April 20, 2024) was a famous British historian. He was a professor of Mexican History at the University of Cambridge. He taught there for many years.

Many people thought he was one of the best historians of Latin America in the UK. He won many awards for his work. These included the Bolton Prize and special medals from the Mexican and Peruvian governments.

Becoming a Historian

David Brading was born in London, England. He studied history at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and earned his first degree in 1960. He also attended Yale University for a short time.

In 1961, he visited Mexico. This trip sparked his deep interest in the country. He realized he wanted to study its history. He was especially fascinated by 16th-century Spain and Latin America. He loved learning about their history, art, and culture.

Studying Silver Mining

After working briefly in the government, he started his PhD at University College London. His main focus was on silver mining in New Spain (which is now Mexico). He spent 15 months doing research in old archives. He looked at documents in Spain and Mexico.

His research led to his doctoral paper in 1965. It was about how society and government worked in Guanajuato, Mexico, especially around the silver mines.

Teaching and First Book

After finishing his studies, Brading became a professor. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley and later at Yale University.

His first book, Miners and Merchants in Bourbon Mexico 1765–1810, came out in 1971. This book was about the history of the silver industry in Mexico. It also looked closely at the city of Guanajuato. Experts called it a "landmark" book. It won the Bolton Prize in 1972.

Return to Cambridge

In 1973, Brading went back to Cambridge University. He became a lecturer in Latin American History. He also directed the Centre of Latin American Studies at Cambridge from 1975 to 1990. He received a special degree in 1991. The next year, he was given an honorary doctorate from the University of Lima in Peru. He also became a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

In 1999, he became a full Professor in Latin American History at Cambridge. David Brading passed away on April 19, 2024, at 87 years old.

Important Books

David Brading wrote several important books that helped people understand Latin American history better.

The First America

In 1992, he published The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots, and the Liberal State, 1492–1867. This book explored the idea that people born in the New World (called "creoles") had their own unique identity. This identity was different from people born in Spain. This book was seen as very important for understanding this topic.

Mexican Phoenix

Another major work was Mexican Phoenix, Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition across Five Centuries, published in 2001. This book told the detailed history of the Virgin of Guadalupe. She is a very important religious symbol in Latin America. Reviewers praised the book for its "brilliant" insights.

Honoring His Work

In 2007, a special collection of essays was published to honor Brading. It was called Mexican Soundings: Essays in Honour of David A. Brading. This book celebrated his amazing contributions to Mexican history. It included essays from his former students and colleagues.

The essays in the book looked at Brading's life and work. They also explored themes he studied, like religion, politics, and Mexican national identity. Many historians praised his deep research and how much his books influenced the study of Mexican history.

Awards and Recognitions

David Brading received many awards and honors throughout his career:

• He was a Henry Fellow at Yale University (1960–1961).
• He won the Herbert Eugene Bolton Prize (1972).
• He was a Visiting Fellow in Japan (1985).
• He received honorary degrees from four universities, including the Universidad de Lima in Peru.
• He became a Fellow of the British Academy (1995).
• He was a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
• He was recognized by many historical societies in Mexico and Peru.

Books in English

• Miners and Merchants in Bourbon Mexico, 1763–1810 (1971)
• Haciendas and Ranchos in the Mexican Bajio: Leon 1700–1863 (1978)
• Prophecy and Myth in Mexican History (1984)
• The Origins of Mexican Nationalism (1985)
• The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriotism and the Liberal State 1492–1867 (1991)
• Church and State in Bourbon Mexico. The Diocese of Michoacan, 1749–1810 (1994)
• Mexican Phoenix. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition Across Five Centuries (2001)

Books in Spanish

• Espiritualidad barroca, política eclesiástica y renovación filosófica : Juan Benito Díaz de Gamarra, 1745-1783 (1993)
• Una iglesia asediada : el Obispado de Michoacán, 1749-1910 (1994)
• Siete Sermones Guadalupanos, 1709-1765 (1994)
• El Ocaso Novohispano:Testimonios Documentales (1996)
• Apogeo y derrumbe del imperio español (1996)
• Juan Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán (1748-1798):el hombre y su tiempo (1999)
• Cinco miradas británicas a la historia de México (2000)
• Octavio Paz y la poética de la historia Mexicana (2002)
• Nueve sermones guadalupanos (1661-1758) (2005)
• El Pegaso o el mundo barroco novohispano en el siglo XVII (2006)
• Visión y símbolos : del virreinato criollo a la República Peruana (2006)
• La Canonización de [Juan Diego] (2009)
• El Gran Michoacán en 1791 : sociedad e ingreso eclesiástico en una diócesis novohispana (2009)
• Profecía y patria en la historia del Perú (2011)
• Ensayos sobre el México contemporáneo (2021)

Books Edited or with Prefaces

• Caudillo and Peasant in the Mexican Revolution (1980)
• Historia de la revolución de Nueva España (1990)
• Génesis del porvenir : sociedad y política en Querétaro (1913-1940) (1997)
• Letter to the Spanish Americans : a facsimile of the second English edition (2002)
• Carta dirigida a los españoles americanos (2004)
• Los proyectos y las realidades : América Latina en el siglo XX (2004)
• Mexican soundings : Essays in honour of David A. Brading (2007)
• El mestizaje mexicano (2010)
• América (2015)

See also

In Spanish: David A. Brading para niños