Mexico and Its Religion records the travels of Robert Anderson Wilson through Mexico during parts of the years 1851 to 1854, combining personal observation with historical commentary. Wilson describes the landscapes, cities, and peoples he encountered, paying particular attention to religious life and the place of the Catholic Church in Mexican society.
The book also offers historical notices of events connected with the places visited, reflecting mid-nineteenth-century American attitudes toward Mexico in the aftermath of war between the two nations. Wilson’s perspective is that of an outside observer, and his judgements bear the prejudices of his era. Read critically, the work remains an interesting travel narrative and a record of how one American writer interpreted Mexican culture, religion, and history during a period of upheaval.