1. South American Colonial Societies

2. Conquistadors – Early 16th century Spanish adventurers
Hernán Cortéz (Mexico) and Francisco Pizarro (South America)
Beginning of Iberian colonization of Latin America

3. Colonial Government
Mirrored home gov’t: extensive, Catholic, highly structured
Viceroys
Sent from Spain
Represented the Crown
Highest ranking officers in Iberian colonies

4. Because of mercantilism:
Spain and Portugal became wealthy from the silver, gold, and sugar, NOT Latin America
Local economic and political initiative was limited
Heavy tax burden drained capital and slowed economic growth

5. Catholic Church
Created syncretic Latin American Christianity (Catholicism + native beliefs)
Focus changed from converting natives to schools and universities
Church became richest institution in Latin America

7. Bartolomé de Las Casas (1474-1566)
Bishop of Chiapas
Created New Laws of 1542 which outlawed enslavement of Amerindians and limited forced labor

8. Colonial Economy Dominated by:
Silver mines in Peru and Mexico
Sugar plantations in Brazil and on Caribbean islands
Based on coercive labor of Amerindians and African slaves

9. Coercive Labor Systems
Encomienda: Grant of authority over a group of Amerindians for labor or taxes (this could be the definition but now finish it for your terms. Why is this term important, what are the consequences of this term, or what does this term tell us about the time period?
Mita (Do you remember this term? Redefine it and explain how this could be a continuity and how it could be a change in Latin America)
slavery

10. Silver mines Largest industry and generated the most wealth
Richest silver deposit was Potosí (Bolivia)

11. Potosí

13. Environmental costs of silver production
Deforestation (need for fuel and timber)
Soil contamination and human sickness/death (industrial waste and mercury poisoning)
Overgrazing and erosion (horses, mules, and oxen needed to drive machinery and transport material)

14. Sugar Industry Dominated Brazil’s economy
Modeled after Portuguese sugar plantations using slave labor on West African islands
Declining Amerindian population => African slaves

16. Colonial Society Based on Iberian society
Strict social classes
Catholic
Patriarchal
Amerindian and African cultures became the subcultures of Latin America

17. Amerindian elites married Europeans to keep social status
Africans become largest ethnic group in Brazil

18. Social Structure Peninsulares: Born in Spain
Creoles: European-descent but born in Americas
Castas (Mixed)
Mestizos: European and Amerindian
Mulattos: European and African
Free Amerindians/Africans
Slaves

20. Peninsulares: The family of José de Iturrigaray, Spanish Viceroy of Mexico, ca. 1805

21. Creoles

22.
Mestizos

23. Mulattoes

24. African and Amerindian = Lobo

25. THE BIG PICTURE Latin American colonies
Bring power and wealth to Spain and Portugal
Were vital in the expanding global economy as suppliers of precious minerals and crops
Iberian culture becomes dominant in Latin America
Iberian social structure recreated in the New World, but with a multi-ethnic population

26. THE BIG PICTURE (cont’d)
Colonial economy relied on coercive labor and mother country=> struggle to create strong, independent economies
Latin America became key in the interchange of goods, people, and cultures between Americas, Africa, and Europe