From South Asia to Mexico, from slave to spiritual icon, this woman's life is a snapshot of Spain's colonization – and the Pacific slave trade history that books often leave out
- Written by Diego Luis, Assistant Professor of History, Tufts University
Catarina was revered in Puebla, Mexico – but devotion to her attracted Catholic authorities' disapproval after her death.Image from the collections of the Biblioteca Nacional de EspañaJan. 5, 2024, marked 336 years since the passing of an extraordinary woman you have probably never heard of: Catarina de San Juan.
Her life reads like an...