1. C HAPTER 8 S ECTION 1 History and Governments

2. N ATIVE A MERICANS The Olmec of southern Mexico built Latin America’s first civilization. Lasted from 1500 B.C. to 300 B.C.

3. O LMEC Cities were located near farming areas. Grew corn (maize), as well as squash and beans. Jade (a shiny green semiprecious stone) and obsidian (a hard, black, volcanic glass used for making weapons) were important minerals in the region.

4. M AYA Lived in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Between AD 300 and AD 500. Built huge stone temples in the shape of pyramids with steps. Used their knowledge of astronomy to develop a calendar (2012?)

5. M AYA Hieroglyphics: a form of writing that uses signs and symbols. Allowed them to record the history of their kings. Historians don’t know what happened to the Maya.

6. T OLTEC Lived in Northern Mexico, conquered all the way down to the Yucatan Peninsula. Held a monopoly on the trade of obsidian. Had the most powerful weapons in the area.

7. A ZTECS Moved into Central Mexico around 1200 AD. They adopted Toltec culture and conquered neighboring people. Took control of trade in the region.

8. T ENOCHTITLAN The Aztec capital, a beautiful city on an island on a lake. Held about 250,000 people, a large population for that time.

9. F LOATING G ARDENS Aztec farmers grew their crops on “floating gardens,” or rafts filled with mud. They would eventually sink to the bottom of the lake. Rafts eventually formed fertile islands.

10. I NCA In the 1400’s the Inca had a powerful civilization in South America in what is now modern day Peru. Empire stretched more than 2,500 miles along the Andes. Empire: A large territory with many different peoples under one ruler.

11. I NCA Built irrigation systems, roads, and suspension bridges that linked regions of the empire to Cuzco, the capital.

12. E UROPEAN C ONQUESTS Spanish explorers arrived in the late 1400s and early 1500s. In 1519 a Spanish army lead by Hernan Cortes landed on Mexico’s Gulf Coast. Cortes and 600 soldiers marched into Tenochtitlan.

13. D ISEASE Spain’s hidden ally, germs that carried disease, such as measles and smallpox. Killed more Aztecs than weapons.

14. F RANCISCO P IZZARO Took a small group of Spanish soldiers to South America. Pizzaro captured the Incan ruler and had him killed. After the death of their ruler the Inca collapsed into disorder.

15. C OLONIAL L ATIN A MERICA Spain built an empire that included much of South America, the Caribbean, Middle America, and parts of the present-day United States.

16. P ORTUGAL Became the colonial ruler of what is now Brazil. France, Britain, and the Netherlands took control of some Caribbean area and parts of North America.

17. S ETTLEMENT Europeans settled the land, set up colonial governments and spread Christianity among the Native Americans. Cash crops: farm products grown for export. Disease reduced the number of Native Americans and slaves were brought over from Africa to fill the need. Silver, cotton, sugar, tobacco, and gold went from the Americas to Europe.

18. I NDEPENDENCE Latin America’s first successful revolt against European rule took place in Haiti. Haiti is the only nation ever created as a result of slave revolt.

19. T HE F IGHT FOR M EXICO Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos were executed in an attempt to overthrow Spanish rule. Mexicans finally gain independence in 1821 and became a republic in 1823. In 1823 the countries of Central America won their freedom from Spain. In 1819 Simon Boliviar defeated the Spanish to gain independence for modern day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

20. M ILITARY Military corruption has prevented many Latin American countries from having successful Democracies. Caudillos: High-ranking military officers or rich men supported by the upper class. Often ruled as dictators.

21. B RAZIL Broke away from Portugal in the 1820’s and became a Monarchy until 1889 when it became a republic.

22. E XPORTS Bananas, sugar, coffee, copper and oil are major exports. Due to dependence on exports foreign investors have built ports, roads, and railroads in Latin America.

23. T HE U NITED S TATES AND L ATIN A MERICA In 1898 the United States and Spain fought a war over Spanish-ruled Cuba. Cuba became a republic under U.S. protection. The U.S. also gained control of Puerto Rico.

24. P ANAMA In 1903 the United States helped Panama gain independence from Colombia. In return Panama allowed the United States to build the Panama Canal. The U.S. has many political and economic interests to protect in the region.

25. T RUST Many Latin Americans do not trust the United States because of its great wealth and power.

26. M ODERN T IMES Latin America owes large sums of money to other areas of the world. Some countries rebelled against leaders who ruled ruthlessly or were in power too long.

27. F IDEL C ASTRO Carried out a revolution in 1959. Revolution: a sudden violent change of government. Developed a communist state: the government controls the economy and society.

28. 1990 S Democratic movement succeeded in various countries. Civil Wars have plagued many Latin American countries.

29. C ORRUPTION Growing trade in illegal drugs has increased crime and corruption. Differences between rich and poor still create social tensions.

30. F LOATING GARDEN

31. O BSIDIAN AND J ADE

32. M AYA P YRAMIDS

33. T ENOCHTITLAN

34. M ACHU P ICCHU

35. H ERNAN C ORTES

36. P IZARRO

37. P ANAMA C ANAL

38. F IDEL C ASTRO