The Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan civilizations proved detrimental to these New World empires. While much has been written about the Spanish conquest of these North and South American civilizations, the use and analysis of new historical evidence and data has produced fresh insights which is helping to balance the once dominant Spanish/Western civilizing narrative. Conflict in the Early Americas: An Encyclopedia of the Spanish Empire’s Aztec, Incan, and Mayan Conquests edited by Rebecca M Seaman, Elizabeth City State University history professor, seeks to provide a less Eurocentric overview of the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan cultures before, during, and shortly after Spanish conquest. A single volume encyclopedia, Conflict in the Early Americas contains a brief preface, 426 entries, several maps, and detailed timelines for the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan conflicts.

Organized alphabetically, Conflict in the Early Americas provides concise, yet informative essays ranging from one to two pages in length, each including a list of resources. Seaman’s volume largely stands alone among other reference works that address the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan civilizations. While works such as Jay Kinsbruner’s Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture (Gale, 2008), Thomas M Leonard’s Encyclopedia of Latin America (Facts On File, 2010), and several older encyclopedias include entries about the Spanish Empire’s involvement with the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan cultures, these works tend to lack entries on the social and cultural characteristics of these New World cultures. Conflict in the Early Americas is set apart from other reference works, not only because of its specific focus on the Aztec, Inca and Maya, but also because the volume delves into the social, political, and cultural state of these empires, before, during, and after the arrival of the Spanish. Entries such as “Government, Pre-Conquest Aztec,” “Sciences and Arts of Pre-Conquest Inca,” and “Women, Status of Mexica” are examples of how Seaman’s volume incorporates recent research into the cultures of these societies.

Conflict in the Early Americas is an important reference work that breaks from the Eurocentric framework. The one drawback to this notable encyclopedia is the omission of an introduction essay that frames the historical treatment of the Spanish conquest. While the exceedingly short preface alludes to the once dominate Eurocentric scholarship and briefly mentions the importance of new research that challenges that notion, a more historiographical essay would have provided excellent context for the reader. That aside, Conflict in the Early Americas is an important work on 16th century North and South American civilization and is recommended for high schools, medium to large-size public libraries and academic libraries.