In Latin America, far more than in North America, the past coexists with the present and shapes the future both positively and negatively.  The effort to understand contemporary Latin America without understanding its past is doomed to failure. This is also a fascinating period of history. The colonial period is a remarkable epoch in the history of mankind. It provides some awesome examples of bravery and faith along side extraordinary duplicity and corruption.  It also serves as a powerful example of cultural exchange and adaptation. It also serves as a laboratory to explore the discipline of history in its many facets.