Robert Curtis Chapin was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 24, 1933. He graduated from Concord High School, served during the Korean War, studied sculpture at the Boston Art School, and obtained a master's degree in architectural history at Goddard College.

In 1986, he moved to Antigua, Guatemala and started a business reproducing traditional American Indian tribal designs, handmade with crystal beads by Mayan Indians and sold in United States.

In 1999, he met Augusta, born in Barcelona, Spain in September 1944. She was then working as an insurance executive in Guatemala City. When she retired, they moved to Panajachel, a small town in Lake Atitlan, where they got married.

The worsening of Curtis's health forced them to move to south Florida for medical treatments and hospitalizations. They brought with them all the books, documents, and photographs used to produce this book. On days that Curtis felt stronger, they worked together writing, sorting documents, choosing photographs, and reading and recordings new ideas. After Curtis passed away in December 2020, Augusta decided to finish this book that provides a new approach to United States history.