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Latin America. Why is it called “Latin America?”. Spanish and Portuguese brought their language and customs What does this leave out?. THE SPANISH EMPIRE IN THE NEW WORLD. Indigenous People. Maya (Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala) Aztec (Mexico) Inca (Peru)
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Why is it called “Latin America?” • Spanish and Portuguese brought their language and customs • What does this leave out?
Indigenous People • Maya (Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala) • Aztec (Mexico) • Inca (Peru) • Many other smaller indigenous groups throughout
Sophisticated civilizations • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNG2TU2hRg8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active • http://www.rutahsa.com/KC603-8.jpg
African Slaves • Africans were brought to Latin America • Caribbean nations in particular, but also parts of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil had large slave populations
People of Mixed Origin • Criollos- European ancestry • Mestizos: European and indigenous ancestry • Colonizing vs. Conqueror: was Latin America colonized or conquered?
CONQUEST • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuD4vchi3ho&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
Social Class – Colonial times • Hacendados- wealthy landowners • Peons- unskilled peasants • How might this social system affect Latin America today?
ENCOMIENDA • Grant by the Spanish king to an individual of land and the labor of any inhabitants living on it. • Led to much abuse of the Indians, as landowners were far away from crown’s authority and not easily accountable.
BRAZIL • Divided into ‘captaincies’ • Military officers received enormous grants of land that they had to settle at their own expense. • Few prospered. • Few Portuguese women migrated.
SPANISH TOWNS • Council of the Indies drew up ‘Laws of the Indies’ which spelled out: • How Indians were to be addressed and treated • Rules for founding and naming new ‘discoveries.’ • Strict rules for laying out new towns and cities. • Had to be in fertile valleys, not too high • Had to have central plaza and streets off it at right angles.
Mercantilism- a system in which a colony's only purpose is to provide raw materials and act as a market
Independence • Revolutionary uprisings with criollos fighting on both sides • Independence is achieved
19th Century- Rise of the Caudillo • Caudillo- strong man, military leader • Many nations in Latin America experienced constant coups • Militaries often dominated political life
How might these social, political, economic patterns effect Latin America? What ideologies are likely to emerge?
Communism in Latin America • Huge gaps between wealthy and poor make communism appealing to many • Although growing today, many Latin American nations lack a strong middle class
US Intervention in Latin America • The US has intervened militarily in: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Haiti Reasons: protect US economic interests, fight communism, war on drugs
"Alas, poor Mexico. So far from God. So close to the United States." –Carlos Fuentes What does the Mexican writer, Carlos Fuentes, mean here?
Economic development • Huge neighbor to the north • Over reliance on single commodity • Agrarian economies • Lack of education
NAFTA • North American Free Trade Agreement • Lowered tariffs between USA, Mexico, and Canada
Immigration • Economic immigrants seeking opportunities in US • Difficulties assimilating • US born children of migrants face challenges as well
Comparison- Why are they so poor? Africa Latin America • Tribalism • Government corruption • Colonialism • Slavery • Over reliance on single export • Geography • Mercantilism • Corruption • Colonialism • Over Reliance on single export • Slavery