George Washington Montgomery “Narrative of a Journey to Guatemala”

George Washington Montgomery, born in 1804, was an American diplomat whose work allowed for him to travel to Guatemala in 1838 (Wilson). In this travelogue, he discusses his journey from Havana, Cuba to Guatemala and the events along the way. His account is mainly targeted at the American public and he paints Latin America as a place full of nature and different people. His account, as the name suggests, is a narrative so it does not come off as overly authoritative to the reader. 

Montgomery depicts Latin America as a place of wild landscapes and mainly different peoples. Montgomery’s depiction of indigenous people is very misinformed and backward by today’s standards. While approaching the town of Gualan, Montgomery hears gunshots and writes “Were the factious Indians in possession of the town? Would it be safe to advance?” (Montgomery 66). After this event, a woman tells them that it is safe to approach the town and Montgomery believes her because she was not indigenous. In his writing, he depicts Spaniards as being more civilized and trustworthy than the indigenous population. 

Another event that Montgomery writes about is a visit to a hacienda (Montgomery 64). A hacienda is a rural estate that relied on indigenous workers to operate. In exchange for work, the indigenous people received a part of the harvest or a small amount of money (Chasteen 73). Haciendas were often a place of cultural mixing or transculturation which helped make Latin America so diverse. This travelogue reveals that many foreigners perceived Latin America as a wild and still developing place. Montgomery’s writings enforce this idea by showcasing how hard it was to traverse the region. His writings also show how foreigners viewed race in Latin America, especially when it came to indigenous peoples.

Sources:

Wilson, James. “George Washington Montgomery.” In Appletons’ Cyclopedia of American Biography, Volume IV. Forgotten Books, 2018.

Montgomery, George Washington. Narrative of a Journey to Guatemala, in Central America, in 1838. New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1839.

Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.