The History of Nicaragua

by Clifford L. Staten

Overview

From colonial rule to revolution and beyond, this concise history of Nicaragua unpacks the political struggles, economic transformations, and social movements that have shaped the modern nation, offering essential insights into a country defined by resilience and change.

Tracing Nicaragua's past from indigenous civilizations to Spanish conquest, dictatorship, and revolution, the book examines key forces that have shaped its destiny. Discover the rise and fall of the Somoza dynasty, the impact of the agro-export economy, the legacy of the Sandinista revolution, and the country's complex path to democracy.

This revised edition brings Nicaragua's story into the present, analyzing recent years of political and social change-including President Daniel Ortega's shift toward authoritarianism, the contested elections of 2011, 2016, and 2021, the 2018 protests, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and evolving U.S.-Nicaragua relations. Featuring updated timelines, key figures, and essential terms, this book is an indispensable guide to understanding Nicaragua's past, present, and future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765138144
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/05/2026
Series:	Histories of the Modern Nations
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Clifford L. Staten, PhD, is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Indiana University Southeast, USA.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword
Acknowledgements
Timeline of Historical Events
Acronyms Used in This Book
1. Nicaragua and Its People
2. Pre-colonial, Colonial, and Early Independence (4000 BCE–1856 CE)
3. The Coffee Boom, Zelaya, and United States Intervention (1856–1925)
4. Sandino and the Rise of the Somoza Dynasty (1925–1959)
5. The Sandinistas and the Fall of the Somoza Dynasty (1959–1979)
6. The Revolutionary Years (1979–1990)
7. The Democratic Interlude (1990–2006)
8. The Return to Authoritarianism (2006–Present)
Notable People in the History of Nicaragua
Nicaraguan History: A Bibliographic Essay
Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

This reference and resource on Nicaragua is for general readers and students in high school and up. An introduction to the country and its people covers geography, culture and society, the political system, the economy, and the country's future. The rest of the book offers a chronological history emphasizing recurring themes and factors that have shaped the modern state, such as the agro-export model of economic development, nationalism, and the Sandinista revolution. After an overview of ancient times, coverage encompasses the colonial period and early independence, the coffee boom, the rise and fall of the Somoza dynasty, the revolutionary years (1979-1990), and the road to democracy (1990-present). Other features included a timeline of historical events, a list of acronyms, notes on 20 important people, and a bibliographic essay.” —Reference & Research Book News

“Staten opens this indispensable guide with a chronology of Nicaraguan history and follows with six chapters expanding on these historical details, from precolonization through the revolution and into its democratic present. Other chapter essays beautifully illuminate the country and its people, while still another segment profiles notable Nicaraguan figures. In lieu of a standard bibliography, a bibliographical essay—spatially condensed and consequently somewhat less accessible—details further reading titles. This represents a meticulous, more historically focused update to and broadening of Hazel Plunkett's 2001 Nicaragua in Focus (2d ed.) and will prove a vital resource to Mesoamerican scholarship.” —Library Journal

From the Publisher