The 19th and 20th Centuries

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

• 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.

• 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.

No Respect for Individual Rights

• There was no respect for individual rights• This was especially true of military

dictatorships.