Mercurio peruano, tomo I. Lima, 1791-94
Although the Gazeta de Lima was founded earlier, the appearance of the Mercurio peruano was nonetheless a significant development. The Gazeta carried primarily topical news, from Europe and the Americas. The Mercurio, on the other hand, focused on the discussion of ideas. Fully one quarter of the Mercurio’s total pages were devoted to discussions of scientific topics. Other subjects discussed in the pages of the Mercurio included religion, literature, economics, and history. Publications like the Mercurio helped to form among their readers a sense of identity that was distinctly American, something which would gain more salience with the approach of the wars of independence. The Library has twelve volumes of this serial.