Volume III opens with five chapters which survey the revolutions and wars of independence in Spanish America and the relatively peaceful transition to independence in Brazil during the first quarter of the nineteenth century - after three centuries of Spanish and Portuguese rule. Part Two is devoted to the Caribbean and consists of chapters on Haiti, the former French colony and the first independent Latin American republic, Santo Domingo, the former Spanish colony, and on Cuba, which remained a Spanish colony, from the late eighteenth century to c. 1870. Parts Three and Four, the central core of this volume, examine the economic, social and political history of Latin America during the first half-century after independence. There are two general chapters on post independence Spanish America, followed by chapters on Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, Chile and the River Plate republics, and there are two chapters on the empire of Brazil.

"A particularly commendable feature of this scholarly undertaking lies in the fact that the corps of historians who have contributed to these volumes have, in many cases, read one another's essays, and have commented critically and offered helpful suggestions as the project went forward. This has resulted in an optimum degree of competency and high level of scholarship. The material presented and the varying interpretaions offered combine to form a highly readable text and most enjoyable experience for the reader. A carefully detailed index is to be found in each volume. In addition, all three tomes, taken together, contain more than 200 pages of richly documented bibliographic materials, based on the subject matter of each chapter." - Revista Canadiense De Estudios Hispanicos

"…a superbly integrated collection of 18 essays by some of the very best historians of Latin America ... Leslie Bethell, both general editor and editor of each volume, wisely commissioned a mixture of country by country histories and thematic essays to provide linkages ... there is much subtle interaction among the contributors." - Hispanic American Historical Review

"... extraordinarily high standard of comprehensive scholarship ... Leslie Bethell ... has assembled an outstanding team of specialists from both sides of the Atlantic and has edited their contributions impressively ... This outstanding team, under a first class captain, has produced what will undoubtedly be for many years, the authoritative general history of Latin America ... an indispensable work." - British Book News

"One of the really noteworthy aspects of the Cambridge History so far is its treatment of Brazil…between them Leslie Bethell, José Murilo de Carvalho and Richard Graham have filled those gaps, maintaining the standards set by the chapters on Brazil in the earlier volumes." - Times Higher Education Suplement

"The third volume of the CHLA maintains the high standard of scholarship which emerged in the first two volumes on Colonial Latin America ... The editor's division of material into chronological and topical parts reveals a sensitivity and grasp of nineteenth-century Latin American history in Keeping with the most recent research… [An] outstanding and original contribution is the editor’s short chapter on the church and the independence of Latin America… a fine addition to anyone’s library of Latin American history." - Journal of Latin American Studies

"… the product of much careful work. In structure and content it is a model of its kind … this extremely learned work, large parts of which are brilliantly written, represents a valuable enrichment of the historiography on Latin America. The contributors and the editor have earned our gratitude..." - Historischer ZeiWg

"This volume offers many more keys to understanding this period than were hitherto available ... it is now much clearer where work must be done. It is an essential first stop for scholars embarking on research in this period and will be invaluable for general courses on Latin American history." - Bulletin of Latin American Research