Latin America

WORLDS COLLIDING!!!

Europeans, Africans, Native Americans Latin America, today, is a collection of those

three cultures Modern Latin America – Many Symbols of

Unity that come from Western European Connection Politically – Capitalist, Nation-States Linguistically – Romance Languages Dominate Religious – Overwhelmingly Roman Catholic

3 Peoples

Sit with three people around you, and try to

combine your cultural backgrounds. Pretend you will have to live near or with each

other – which traditions would you keep? Which would you lose? Why?

Think in broad themes – Language, food, religion, living arrangements, cultural traditions, family structure, value on education, methods of employment, etc

Make a list of what your “Country” would have, and why

Activity

Racial and Cultural Difference – Native

American Presence in Mexico, Central America, and the Andes

Caribbean and Brazil – Dense African populations

Argentina and Uruguay – Large European populations from immigration

Division

“Latin America” – Even the name doesn’t

make sense – came from the French in the 1850s and focused on the “Latin” Countries of Europe

21st Century Latin America - Mixture of countries that gained independence from France, Spain, and Brazil, and territories that have their own unique culture but are not independent (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)

Eclectic Collection of Peoples and Traditions

First “Americans”

By 12,000 BCE, humans inhabited Americas – From Canada to Tierra Del Fuego

Settlement in Monte Verde, Chile changed the view of inhabitation of the Americas

Ancient Cultures of Central and South America:

The Maya, Aztec, and Inca

Mayan Map

The culture's beginnings have been traced

back to 1500 BC. The Height of Mayan civilization was between

600 and 900 AD. Mayans were an urban people, but they built

their cities in rain forests

The Mayans

Mayan Writing devised a complex

style of hieroglyphic writing that has yet to be fully deciphered.

Maya words are formed from various combinations of nearly 800 signs.

Maya Technology The Maya, for example,

were so advanced in mathematics and astronomy that their calendar was the world's most accurate until this century. They could also predict solar and lunar eclipses.

The Maya calendar was adopted by the other Mesoamerican nations, such as the Aztecs and the Toltec.

The pyramid was used as a calendar: four stairways, each with 91 steps and a platform at the top, making a total of 365, equivalent to the number of days in a calendar year.

The basis of the culture was farming, which

included not only the cultivation of maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers, but also "cash crops" of cotton and cacao.

Agriculture

The most revered deities (Gods) were Itzamna

and Ix Chel, father and mother of all other gods, and the rain god Chac. Kukulcan was the Mayan name for the feathered serpent, god of the ruling caste.

Ceremonies revolved around their calendar Human Sacrifice – blood letting, sometimes

human hearts

Religion

TIKAL

Insufficient food supply, earthquakes,

pestilence, invasion by outsiders, internal rebellion or a combination of these factors have all been suggested as possible causes for the fall of the Mayan eminence. What appears certain is that by 900 AD the Maya's numerous ceremonial centers had been abandoned.

Downfall

Aztec map

Prior to the 15th century, the Aztecs were a

marginal tribe living on the edge of Lake Texcoco, the site of present day Mexico City

Leading a highly codified government was an all-powerful emperor who exacted taxes from the conquered and distributed land to his people, especially the warriors.

Aztec

By 1473, after subjugating neighboring tribes,

they ruled the largest empire Mexico had ever seen. Their capital of Tenochtitlan, set in the lake, was a picturesque city of pyramids, mile-long floating roads, aqueducts, animated marketplaces, and one hundred thousand residents.

Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan

Leading a highly codified government was an

all-powerful emperor who exacted taxes from the conquered and distributed land to his people, especially the warriors.

Government

Aztec Calendar-The Aztecs used a Calendar similar to The Mayans. It had a 365 day a year Calendar.

-In the mythology of the Aztecs, the first age of mankind ended with the animals devouring humans. The second age was finished by wind, the third by fire, and the fourth by water. The present fifth epoch is called Nahui-Olin (Sun of Earthquake), which began in 3113 BC and will end on December 24, 2011. It will be the last destruction of human existence on Earth.

Aztec Writing The Aztec

Language was based on symbols representing writing.

They would combine symbols to create sentences.

Mythology According to an

Aztec myth, the white-faced Quetzacuatl - their most important god.

He is the god of intelligence and the god of creation.

Inca Map

Between 1200 and 1535 AD, the Inca

population lived in the part of South America extending from the Equator to the Pacific coast of Chile.

Inca

The Inca society was arranged by a strict

hierarchical structure. The Highest Level the Sapa, high priest or ruler,

and the army commander at the top. The temple priests, architects and regional army

commanders were next. The two lowest classes consisted of artisans, army

captains, farmers, and herders. Farmers provided most of the food for the rest of

the population. They had to pay tax in the form of gold, which were distributed to the higher classes.

Incan Government

The Inca developed drainage systems and

canals to expand their crop resources. Potatoes, tomatoes, cotton, peanuts and coca were among the many crops grown by the Inca.

Llama were used for meat and transportation. There was more than enough resources available for everyone. Increased subsistence levels led to a growth in the Inca population.

Inca Agriculture

The Incas had an incredible system of

roads. One road ran almost the entire length of the South American Pacific coast.

Since the Incas lived in the Andes Mountains, the roads took great engineering and architectural skill to build.

On the coast, the roads were not surfaced. The Incas paved their highland roads with

flat stones and built stone walls to prevent travelers from falling off cliffs.

Inca Technology

Begins, obviously, with Columbus Diseases were the most influential “exchange” Smallpox, chicken pox, typhus, measles,

whooping cough, measles, mumps Between 1492 and 1650, it is POSSIBLE that

disease killed 90 percent of the first “Americans” – over 20 million lived in the Americas before 1492.

What affect does this have? Where do the people think diseases come from?

Columbian Exchange

“The good hand of God favored our

beginnings,” Bradford mused, by “sweeping away great multitudes of the natives … that he might make room for us.”

William Bradford

Bradford

East to West

Wheat, barley, Rye, sugar, bananas, citrus fruits, rice, cotton

Horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs West to East

maize (corn), potatoes, cassava, beans, squashes, pineapple, tomato, avocado, etc

Potatoes and Maize had the most significant effect

Crops and animals

Hit by wave after wave of multiple diseases to which

they had utterly no resistance, they [the indigenous peoples] died by the millions. Disease spread from the paths of explorers and the sites of colonization like a stain from a drop of ink on a paper towel. In fact, in North America, disease spread faster than European colonization. When Hernando de Soto explored the Mississippi Valley in the early 1500s he found large, thriving cities connected by networks of trade. By the time Rene-Robert de La Salle followed de Soto’s footsteps in the 1680s, those cities had evaporated.

Disease

How is modern globalization similar to the

Columbian Exchange?

Globalization

Why does revolution happen? Where does it

come from? What can help make a revolution successful? What have been some successful revolutions

in modern world history (post-1600)

Latin America – Shaping up!

Revolutions in Latin America were not started

by indigenous people – they were started and won by those that settled there

Why – a huge chunk of the indigenous population had died

The “settlers” had been there for almost 300 years

Seeds of revolution

Creoles vs. Peninsulares Europeans felt like they were better than

anyone born in the New World – think about the American Revolution

Different Folks, Different strokes Look at the Island of Hispaniola – DR and Haiti

– why don’t they like each other?

ALL about status/Background

Where does the word “Creole” come from?

The Haitian Rebellion and Revolution became a symbol of possibility all around Latin America

1789 – 1804 – Many firsts – first place in Americas where slaves were freed, first former slave Revolutionary – Toussaint L’Ouverture, and first successful revolution in the Americas

Haiti

Different Rulers – Bourbons vs. Hapsburgs – less

personal touch from the French Enlightenment Philosophies Real birth of Radicalism Death of the “Serf”“Americans today and perhaps to a greater extent

than ever before, who live within the Spanish system, occupy a position in society no better than that of serfs destined for labor.” – Simon Bolivar

Important Cultural Developments in Europe that affected Revolutions in the Americas

In a word – Napoleon Countries needed to focus their attention at

home

Why Everything “exploded” when it did….

LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS

LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS: MENU

CAUSES LEADERS

EFFECTS

CAUSES

PROBLEMS OFTHE SPANISH EMPIRE

THEENLIGHTENMENT

THEAMERICAN

REVOLUTION

THE FRENCH

REVOLUTION

PROBLEMS IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE

* Political Disempowerment:

Spanish colonies were run by the Council of the Indies, a group appointed by the King that met in Spain and sent its directives across the Atlantic. Those directives were carried out by the viceroys, officials appointed by Spain to govern the colonies.* Economic Disempowerment:

Spain had the first right to colonial goods and resources. Excluding all competitors, economic policy was set for Spain’s maximum benefit.

SOCIAL HIERARCHY

P

C

M & M

I & A

Peninsulares:Native Spaniards

Creoles:People of pureEuropean bloodBut born in theNew World

Mestizos: Indian +European blood

Mulattos:African +European blood

Indians and AfricansCAUSES

THE ENLIGHTENMENT

* Government is based on a contract between the ruler and the ruled.

BEFORE: Kings are placed on the throne by God. Only God can remove them.

* Government exists to protect the citizens’ natural rights of life, liberty, & property.* If the government violates the natural rights of the people, the citizens have a right to revolt against that tyranny.CAUS

ES

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

* Napoleon crowns himself emperor of France in 1804.

* In an attempt to rule all of Europe, he puts family and friends in charge of the territories he has conquered.

* In 1810, Napoleon puts his brother Joseph on the throne of Spain. The Spanish royal family flees.

LEADERS

BOLIVAR

HIDALGO

MORELOS

SANMARTIN

SIMON BOLIVAR

* Called the “George Washington of South America.”* Liberated territories of modern day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia

* Plan for a federated Latin America was crushed by political in-fighting.

* Elite Creole planter Military General

LEADERS

JOSE DE SAN MARTIN

* Creole officer who had trained in European armies.* Liberated Argentina from Spanish control.

* Met with Bolivar in Guayaquil in 1822. While Bolivar favored democracy, San Martin felt only monarchy could work. Turned over command.* Died in obscurity in Europe.

LEADERS

MIGUEL HIDALGO

* Highly educated Creole priest assigned to town of Dolores. * September 16, 1810: El Grito de Dolores.

* Led a rag-tag army toward Mexico City, unleashing mass slaughter of peninsulares in path.

* Never made it to the capital -- Captured and shot in 1811.

Hidalgo rang the church bell and called upon his mestizo and indigenous parishioners to take up arms against the Spanish.

LEADERS

JOSE MORELOS

*Mestizo Priest who took over from Hidalgo.

* Established a congress which:

*Created a declaration of rights

*Abolished slavery

*Declared equality of classes

* Much more successful general

“With three such men as Jose Morelos, I could conquer the world.” - Napoleon Bonaparte

*Captured and executed in December 1815

Effects of all this fighting? What was the solution?

EFFECTS

- Political-

International - Economic

- Social

POLITICAL: THE CAUDILLOS

* By 1830, nearly all Latin American countries were ruled by caudillos.

* The upper classes supported dictatorship because it kept the lower classes out of power.

* The lower classes did not have experience with democracy. Dictatorship seemed normal.

INTERNATIONAL: THE MONROE DOCTRINE

“The American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” - James Monroe, 1823

The Monroe Doctrine

* The War of 1812 with Britain had shown the U.S. that some-times revolutionary victories could lead to sequels.

* The U.S. had political and economic interests in keeping Europe out of the Western hemisphere. From 1823 on, it would be the U.S.’ backyard.

* Though the U.S. did not have the muscle to back up its threats, Great Britain agreed to support the Monroe Doctrine due to its new favorable trading position in Latin America.

ECONOMIC: ONE-CROP ECONOMIES

* Now that trade was not restricted to the mother country, the U.S. and Great Britain became the new countries’ major trading partners.* A colonial economy continued…Latin America mainly exported cash crops and raw materials while importing manufactured goods.

AN IMBALANCE OF TRADE

* As the imbalance of trade grew, Latin American countries took out large loans from the U.S., Britain, and Germany to build infrastructure.* When the countries could not pay back their loans, foreign lenders gained control of major industries in Latin America. (Similar to the World Bank in Africa)

THE QUESTION OF LAND

* Thus, the creoles replaced the peninsulares at the top of the social pyramid, but other classes remained at the bottom of the ladder.

* Once the Spaniards were expelled, the new governments seized their lands and put them up for sale, BUT….only the creoles could afford to buy them.

Bolivar compared the Americans to serfs before the revolution. What changed afterwards?

Dictatorship of the Council of the Indies and the Viceroys

Dictatorship of the Caudillos

Unequal trade relationship with Spain benefiting

Unequal trade relationship with

Great Britain and the U.S. benefiting

Native Spaniards at the top of the social ladder, followed by

creoles, and with the rest of the population

at the bottom

Creoles at the top of the ladder with the

rest of the population at the bottom.

BOLIVAR’S LAST WORD

* Simon Bolivar had taken up the cause of independence hoping to establish a new order where Latin American countries would be free, democratic, and federated (in agreement to work together.) Instead, upon his death, he saw a world in which dictators ruled and disunity reigned. Disgusted by what he saw, he gave this warning to future generations:“America is ungovernable for

us. He who serves a revolution plows the sea.”