Henequén: How Yucatán Got Rich - Just a few generations ago, a plant in the asparagus family led to a transformation of this region. The poor, backwater state of Yucatán suddenly experienced a period of great upper-class wealth. Perhaps we are familiar with some of the surviving evidence — Mérida’s mansions, impressive public buildings, luxuriously restored haciendas in the countryside. But to understand much about Yucatán today, we have to know something about the henequen era.

This talk will explore the unexpected origins of the henequen boom, the technology and other factors that had to come together for it to happen, and the profound consequences for the region.

About Bob Temple

Bob is the author of two non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles, mostly on historical subjects. He has been a winter resident of Mérida for about twenty-five years and is a serious amateur Mayanist. This lecture will continue Bob’s series of history talks at MEL. These have been based on his book, After the Meteor: Surprising History in Yucatán, the only popular, general history of Yucatán in English. His unrelated activities have included physical-organic chemistry, environmental activism, and world travel. Bob and his wife, Sue Auerbach, live in Cincinnati, Ohio and Arlington, Virginia.

After the Meteor: Surprising History in Yucatán is available for purchase on MEL’s Local Author shelves, and is a part of our permanent lending collection.