1. The 19 th and 20 th Centuries

2. The Landed Elite Latin American countries continued to have the same rigid class structure. That elite were still the same groups, plus one - industrialists. – landowners – industrialists – the military – the clergy

3. Poverty – While tiny minority of landed elite, still controlled the economic wealth and political power, the overwhelming majority were landless peasants. Revolutions – The wide gap between rich and poor created revolutions and threats of revolutions. – The main cause of revolutions was widespread poverty. Industrialization – Thanks to the industrialists, Latin American countries began to develop industries. – But foreign investors were hesitant about investing in Latin America. – The No. 1 reason was political instability.

4. Military Dictatorships – To prevent revolutions and provide political stability, the military took over most governments. – And the most common type of government was the military junta - a military dictatorship. One-Party Rule – While the elite wanted a modern, industrialized society, they did not want democracy. – As a result, most countries did not have a two- party system. – Just one-party rule - on behalf of the elite.

5. No Respect for Individual Rights There was no respect for individual rights This was especially true of military dictatorships.