Latin America

Focus Again, we will focus on the forces that acted on Latin America – Latin American agency not significant in terms of this course Begin in Unit 3 with arrival of Spanish and Portuguese explorers – Primarily Spain, but will highlight comparison/contrast with Portugal

Colonial Period Unit 3

Age of Exploration Portugal and Spain – Henry the Navigator, Columbus Territory marked by Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) – Portugal gets Brazil – Spain gets the rest

Meeting the Natives Conquistadors – Hernan Cortez destroys the Aztecs – Francisco Pizarro destroys the Inca At first, just taking tribute – Leave political structures in tact and put Europeans on top

Conquest Immigration, commerce, and exploitation Colonies established with natives as serfs, but they mostly die – Causes importation of slaves Encomiendas

Settlement Slave importation, immigration of women shifts process from conquest to settlement Spanish style cities, missionaries, administrative institutions (included the Church) Spaniards come to better themselves, serve god, become a new nobility Encomiendas banned, so plantations and haciendas formed

Colonial Economy Based primarily on mining, then agriculture to provide for miners Trade limited to Spanish ships Total exploitation of native resources and labor

Colonial Government Lawyers and judges ran the government for the crown Viceroys in control in the New World of various segments Church plays a major role – Missionaries – Education – Part of the government

Portugal in Brazil Similarities Many missionaries and key role for the Church Plantation system similar Both imported slaves Develop a unique culture, blending Spanish and native Differences Brazil’s economy was mainly sugar plantations (gold and diamonds later) Political control remained in Europe Completely culturally dependent on Portugal

Society Mestizos Peninsulares Creoles Women were subordinate, couldn’t own property, marriages were arranged

18 th Century Reforms New king removes corrupt officials and takes more control Economy becomes less diverse All benefit the empire, but not local elites, who will eventually revolt – Higher taxes and rising prices from more government involvement

Revolutions Unit 4

Influences American – Revolutions in the Western Hemisphere are possible French – Yay liberty! Yay no king! Woah…let’s not get crazy Haitian – Oh crap

Independence Movements Mexico – Hidalgo pushes peasants to revolt – Conservative creoles eventually establish moderate republic South America – Bolivar in the north, San Martin in the south – Fail to create united regions, but independent republics form Brazil – Formed an empire, Portuguese king’s son

New States Abolished slavery, but only slowly granted full rights to non-whites – Elites maintained control – Women remained subordinate – Racial differences didn’t go away Caudillos – local military leaders – took control after economic problems

Britain becomes neocolonial power – Demand for raw materials for industrialization expands economy – Benefits mostly the landholding elite Liberal politicians restore rights

Great Boom – Profit from increased demand for raw materials, becoming more export-dependent Mexico – Railroads help economy, modernization but on the backs of peasants – Limited protests sparked 1910 revolution Argentina – Economy expands, beef exports – Heavy European influence from immigration – Socialists force reforms America becomes major player: Panama Canal, colonies

Mexico 1821 – independence (briefly monarchy, but a republic) Caudillo – Santa Anna War with America (1848), big loss, liberals take over Conservatives bring Maximillian from Europe to be emperor Executed, replaced by dictator Porfirio Diaz – Economic growth, but repression

Brazil Military put down regional revolts Shifted to coffee cultivation More slavery, economic growth, foreign investment, and immigrant labor Military coup overthrew monarch in 1889, violently repressed peasants

20 th Century Unit 5

Mexican Revolution Diaz was mean – Repressed peasants – Foreigners owned economy, elites only benefited Zapata, Villa lead revolution Obregon takes control with a republican constitution promising education and land reform – Nationalism and indigenism

The Depression During WWI, import-substitution industrialization. Inflation followed Rise of populism and nationalism, with Depression, caused attack on liberalism and capitalism Population growth, dominance of cities  new social problems

Ideological Changes Labor gained power, European immigrants brought new ideologies – Middle-class allied with elites, bringing new protests from poor Land reform in Mexico. Corporatism – like state-run guilds for all industries and workers – Growth without labor conflict

After WWII Challenge of trying to industrialize and “decolonize” War brought economic growth, socialist ideology – Guatemala: nationalist reforms, companies got US to intervene and stop land reforms, causing more unrest and guerrilla conflict – Cuba becomes communist with social reforms but no freedom or growth

Military Option Thought they knew how to organize and run things, were above petty politicians Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay had military interventions in the 1960s-70s Bureaucratic authoritarian regimes: – imposed dictatorships, repression and torture controlled critics – Nationalistic and anti-communist – Controlled inflation, caused growth – Hurts the workers

Present Times Military steps back, democracy takes root Populist socialist leaders in some places Women slowly gained equality, at first were subordinated within political parties Urbanization Population movements