A collection of essays examining the mutually influential interactions of gender and the state in Latin America from the late colonial period to the end of the 20th century. Locating watershed moments in the processes of gender construction by the organized power of the ruling classes and in the processes by which gender has conditioned state-making, the book seeks to remedy the lack of such considerations in previous studies of state formation. Along these lines, the book begins with two theoretical chapters by the editors. These are followed by 12 case studies that examine how states have contributed to the normalisation of male and female roles and relations. Covering an impressive breadth not only of historical time but also of geographical scope, the volume moves from Brazil to Costa Rica, from Mexico to Chile, traversing many countries in between. Contributors explore such topics as civic ritual in Bolivia, rape in war-torn Columbia, and the legal construction of patriarchy in Argentina.