Latin America: Colonization and Urbanization

1. Latin America:Colonization and Urbanization 1450-1750

2. Pre-Invasion • Describe what life was like for Mesoamerica • Describe life in the Andean Highlands

3. 1492 • The end of the Reconquista • The Moors expelled (and the Jews) • Cristobal Colombo

4. Columbus Voyage, 1492

5. What was effect back in Europe? • New commodities • New land • New ideas • New groups of immigrants

6. Who went to the New World? • In Latin America: • The Spanish and Portuguese commoners: • Merchant class • Non-nobles, seeking nobility • Conquistadores

7. And they did what? • Tried to establish fiefs • Created plantation economy • 3 phases: 1.) 1492-1570colonial administration (Indian discrimination/slavery) 2.) 1570-1700Colonial society & economy reached maturity 3.) 1700sreform in American colonies

8. The Spanish Caribbean Indigenous peoples were the Taino - Lived in small villages under authority of chiefs • Showed little resistance to European visitors • Columbus built the fort of Santo Domingo, capital of the Spanish Caribbean • Taino conscripted to mine gold • Encomiendas: land grants to Spanish settlers with total control over local people • Brutal abuses plus smallpox brought decline of Taino populations

9. Cortes • Aztec and Inca societies wealthier, more complex than Caribbean societies • 1519-1521 (450 men) • Brought down the Aztec empire • Advanced weapons: • Steel • Gunpowder • Horses • Alliances with indigenous people • Tribal resentment against the Mexica • Diseases (smallpox)

10. The Road the Ancient Mexicas Travelled

11. Pizarro • 1532-1533 • Defeated the Inca at the capital, Cuzco • Looted gold, silver, other precious metals, jewels from Incan buildings, dead bodies, etc.

12. How could Pizarro’s tiny force do it? (>600) • Many subjects of Incan rule despised the Inca b/c of role as overlord and tax collector • Epidemic disease

13. 1570 • End of Age of Conquest • 192 Spanish cities and towns in the New World • Colonial American society • European-style society in cities, indigenous culture persisted in rural areas • More exploitation of New World than settlement • Still, many Iberian migrants settled in the Americas, 1500-1800

14. Plaza de Recocijo de Potosi (1830, oil painting) Impact on Native Indian Populations • Population decline • Rise of mestizos • Indian Slavery • Econmiendas • Mita • Flee to the cities

15. Colonial Government • Based on coerced labor • Hacienda • Similar to what? • All reported back to the crown • Viceroys (Mexico and Peru) • Then Audiencias (judicial regions) • Then magistrates (town/village)

16. Brazil, model plantation colony • With two people (groups of 3), create an outline of what people need to know about Brazil. Write this like a 1-pager (picture, thesis, CD, etc.) • Share with the class.

17. Multi-racial Societies • Indigenous Americans, Europeans, and Africans brought together in the Americas • As conquerors, Europeans “superior” • People of mixed-parentage in the middle • Slaves at bottom • Disparity as to who was more elite: whites from the Americas (creoles) or from Europe (peninsulares) • Patriarchal culture

18. Reforms in the 18th Century • Spain lost its European dominance • Other European countries took control of Caribbean • Latin America became better able to provide manufactured goods • War of Spanish Succession ended with French Bourbon on throne • Spain had to open trade to British • No more Spanish monopoly!

19. The Bourbons • Increased viceroyalties • Exposed corrupt rulers/removed from office • Improved military readiness of colonies • Colonized California

20. The Bourbons • Created monopolies/improved economy • Weakened Latin American position (created dependency) • Alienated Creole leadership

21. So, kill the tyrant! • The Creole leadership lead to revolts against the crown • New Granada • Peru • But, social/racial disparity prevented widespread & unified revolt

22. So, where does that leave us? • Widespread social unrest • Widespread racial unrest • Widespread economic disparity