Benjamin Johnson

Benjamin Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His research focuses on indigenous social and political responses to colonialism in Latin America, with primary emphasis on Nahuatl speakers in central Mexico.

• Specializes in post-Spanish invasion social order in 16th-century Mexico
• Compares colonial experiences across Maya, Andean, and Brazilian coastal populations
• Teaches courses on Latin American history, pre-Columbian civilizations, and historical methods

His current book project, Remaking the Hinterland, examines how marginalized groups in central Mexico adapted native and Spanish institutions to create new social systems.

Professor Johnson holds a PhD (2011) and MA (2005) from the University of Chicago, along with a BA (2002) from Northwestern University.