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Explore the political, economic, social, and religious aspects of Spanish colonization and the diverse societal interactions in Hispanic America during the conquest and colonial era.
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Fall of the Aztec and Inca Empires • Aztec capital fell to Cortez in 1521 • Pizarro conquered the Incas • Found many allies • Epidemics decimated Indian populations • Felt their leaders and deities helpless • Pizarro demolished the Inca regime • Imperial families escaped to highlands, ruled for awhile before being conquered Video in notes
Spanish Colonization • Spain wasn’t interested in colonizing areas with no gold/silver or sparse populations: northern Mexico and southern South America • Amerindian groups: Puebloans of New Mexico and Mapuche of Patagonia, violently resisted Hispanization • Northern borders: San Francisco and Santa Fe. Spanish colonization of the Americas
Spanish Colonization • Brazil named after natural resource: red dye from brazil wood tree • Male settlers arrived without their wives and freely mixed, having offspring called mamelucos • Societies less class-conscious; everyone worked together to survive A Mameluca woman (circa 1641–1644).
The Colonial Experience • Spanish focused on Aztec, Maya, and Inca empires • Gold and silver were found there • Spanish became feudal lords when native resistance was broken • Spanish introduced draft animals, new crops • Had ready-made labor pool, although the abuses of the encomienda system forced its abolition Video in notes
The Colonial Experience • Protests led to debate legal and ethical status of conquered peoples • Spanish home government passed reform laws, prohibition against Indian enslavement • Decimated populations unparalleled in history by epidemic diseases brought by whites
The Colonial Experience • Latin American populations recovered in 19thC with influx of blacks and whites creating a new ethnic mix • African slaves on lowest echelon of colonial society • No protections from abusive “owners” • Possibility of buying or earning one’s freedom • Created a growing class of free African-Americans • African cultural and religious influence strong in plantation zone (Caribbean area to southern Brazil)
Colonial Administration • Set up royal council with extensive powers, stringent controls • Judicial, military matters handled by colonial courts • Administration dominated by Iberian-born nobles (peninsulares) • Highly bureaucratized • Aim was to maximize revenues
Colonial Administration • Also wanted to provide upward mobility • Local officials were criollos (Iberians born in the New World), who had considerable autonomy
The Church in the Colonies • As powerful as the civil government • Strong missionary spirit • Handled cultural, educational matters as well • Left enormous impression The Church was extremely powerful
Early Economic Structure • International commerce between Iberian colonies, Europe, Asia • Mining was No. 1 – everything else served that end • Agricultural estates (haciendas) produced food • Handicraft industries • Were few exports besides bullion, some sugar, indigo • Exports • Right to export limited to Spanish merchants, ships • Semi-annual fleets carried all goods • Restrictions put in place to protect from pirates and limit goods to and from colonies
Silver and Its Effects • Silver • From Peru and Mexico • Far more silver than gold • Experienced increases and decreases in exports
Silver and Its Effects • No lasting constructive results in Spain • Much of wealth left country for shippers, manufacturers, etc • Chinese got good deal of wealth from Manila trade • Less than half of wealth stayed in Spain • Started huge inflationary spiral
Stagnation and Revival in the 18th Century • 17th century was time of stagnation, decline • Local strongmen had more authority than colonial officials • Fleets sailed only sporadically • Bullion supply dwindling • Controls were falling apart
Stagnation and Revival in the 18th Century • Bourbon Dynasty instituted thorough reforms • Semi-free trade • New government officials • Reduced smuggling, corruption • Reforms were extremely unpopular among colonists House of Bourbon
Reforms and Reactions • Reforms did nothing to help Indians, mestizos • Labor forced into plantation agriculture • Series of Indian uprisings, all crushed • Uprising in Haiti led to independence The Haitian Revolution lasted from 1791-1804
Reforms and Reactions • Criollos were very unhappy • Free trade hurt domestic production • New wealth did not come to them • New spirit of criticism, inquiry • Saw similarities to U.S. revolt, French Revolution
Colonial Society and Culture • Peninsulares and criollos • Peninsulares considered themselves “better” by virtue of where they were born • Criollos excluded from power, but were very wealthy • Social life centered on cities, towns • Leisurely lifestyle of wealthy • Cultivated intellectual pursuits • Books widely available, dealt with current affairs Guatemalan Criollos rejoice upon learning about the declaration of independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.
Women and Ethnic Groups • Women • Lacked independent legal status • Given basic education at home • Wealthy widows were most independent • Mestizos • Originally despised • Served as intermediaries, interpreters • Excluded from power in church, government • Mamelucos of Brazil • Explorers who raided the Jesuit missions to capture Indian slaves A casta painting of a Spanish man and a Peruvian indigenous woman with Mestizo child, 1770.
Other Ethnic Groups • 15 other mixed-blood people • African-Americans at bottom of social pyramid • Amerindians • Lived in haciendas, plantations, Indian run towns, or rounded up for labor in mines • Catholic indoctrination, identifying with Virgin Mary and Christ • Legally classified as minors and treated as children • Exempt from some taxes • Jesuit missions in Paraguay and Brazil protected their Indian charges from capture by ruthless Brazilian mameluco slave-hunters • Women suffered sexual exploitation and abuse by Iberian masters
Discussion Questions 1. Latin American society today is a mixture of European, Native American, and African heritages. How do you think the colonial experience has affected race relations to the present day? 2. The Spanish came to the New World determined to make it into a Catholic world. To what extent did they accomplish their goal? Was Latin American Catholicism identical to Catholicism in Europe? What similarities and differences do you see?
