The Concept of Literature at One Point in Its History: The Mexican Case (1750-1850)

This paper presents an approach to the history of the concept of "literature" within the specific context of New Spain and Mexico during the period bwtween 1750 and 1850. From its Latin origins, related to the art of speaking well, literature arrived in New Spain with the extended meaning of "learned erudition". When did the word start veering towards its current meaning, i.e artistic creation? This work seeks to identify that turn od direction and establish the connotations that the concept had during the studied period, especially in relation to the emergence of a patriotic feeling