Drawing on three detailed case studies-the sewing machine, a glass bottle-blowing factory, and the cyanide process for gold and silver refining-Edward Beatty explores a central paradox of economic growth in nineteenth-century Mexico: while Mexicans made significant efforts to integrate new machines and products, difficulties in assimilating the skills required to use emerging technologies resulted in a persistent dependence on international expertise. "Edward Beatty's exemplary archival research and superb synthesis of disparate materials illuminate new aspects of Mexican economic history."--Richard J. Salvucci, author of Politics, Markets, and Mexico's "London Debt," 1823-1887

"This is a scholarly, readable, and highly original study of a major--but neglected--historical topic: technology transfer and its impact on Mexico, ca. 1870-1920. Combining perceptive general analysis with three illuminating case studies, it will be essential--but also enjoyable--reading for those interested in Mexican and, more broadly, Latin American economic and social history."--Alan Knight, Professor Emeritus of the History of Latin America, Oxford University