Dec 26, 2015
Indigenous peoples and civilizations Maya, Aztec, Inca
European Colonization, 1500s Spain, Portugal, France
American Revolution, 1776 French Revolution and Enlightenment, 1789 Napoleon’s conquests within Europe, 1800s
Peninsulares - men born in Spain Held highest offices
Creoles - Spaniards born in Latin America Officers in army, but not in government Often resented power of the peninsulares
Mestizos - mixed European and Indian Mulattos - mixed European and African Indians
Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808. Removed Spain’s King Ferdinand VII and
made Joseph (his brother) king of Spain. Creoles used it as a reason for revolution. 1810 rebellion across Latin America. 1814, Napoleon defeated and Ferdinand
returned to power, but creoles cont’d their movement.
Creoles and mestizos grow discontented with Spanish rule
Enlightenment ideas Revolutions in American and France Spain’s power weakens Spain tries to restore authority in
colonies Strong leaders call for independence
Venezuela declared independence, 1811
Bolivar’s armies unsuccessful at first 1819: Bolivar marched armies over
Andes into today’s Colombia, defeated Spanish army
1821: Venezuelan independence Marched SW to Ecuador to meet
Jose de San Martin
Argentina declared independence in 1816 San Martin led army across Andes to Chile,
joined by Bernardo Higgins, and freed Chile Ecuador, 1822: San Martin met with Bolivar
to decide how to remove remaining Spanish forces in Lima, Peru
Bolivar’s vision of a united South America Present-day Colombia, Ecuador,
Venezuela and Panama Short-lived due to dissension amongst
various factions Bolivar resigned in 1828 Panama later split from Colombia with US
assistance, 1903
Indians and mestizos, not creoles, played the key role in independence movements.
Creoles sided with Spain to avoid violence of lower-class rebellions (until 1820).
A village priest, believed
in Enlightenment ideals 1810, called for revolution.
Grito de Dolores
Hidalgo’s Indian and mestizo followers marched to Mexico City
Spanish army and creoles acted against Hidalgo and defeated him in 1811
1820 revolution in Spain put a liberal government in power
Mexican creoles feared loss of influence, so they united against Spain
Agustin Iturbide declared himself emperor, but was overthrown
1824: Establishment of the Mexican Republic
Mexico's Congress then followed the wishes of the liberals and began to write a constitution for a federal republic
But the creoles still disagreed on how the constitution should be written Conservatives wanted a strong central government and wanted Roman
Catholicism to be the national religion, as it had been under Spanish rule
Liberals wanted the central government to have less power and the states more, and they called for freedom of religion.
The groups finally reached a compromise, though many conservative creoloes did not support it.
In 1824, Mexico became a republic with a president and a two-house Congress heading the national government, and governors and legislatures heading the states.
Guadalupe Victoria, a follower of Hidalgo and Morelos, became the first president.
A caudillo, strong arm ruler Fought for independence from
Spain in 1821 and again in 1829 when Spain tried to reconquer Mexico
Between 1833 and 1855, president four times Switched sides to keep himself in
power Santa Anna was Emperor of the
largest empire in western world From southern Mexico through TX, all
of what is now the US southwest, CA and some of OR
Was Emperor for a short time – until Texas defeated Mexico in its War of Independence, but never really had control of his empire
1820s, Mexico invited English-speaking settlers (Anglos) to settle Mexican territory of Texas
Cheap land if they supported the Mexican govt Texans soon wanted self-govt, Mexico refused 1835, Stephen Austin encouraged revolt Santa Anna led Mexican troops; defeated, 1836 1845, US annexed Texas; invaded Mexico 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo gave US
land
Poor, orphaned Zapotec Indian; law degree and local governor
La Reforma: reform movement Redistribution of land,
separation of church and state, education
Santa Anna sent him into exile Set up a liberal government, but
plagued by conservative rebels
Conservative rebels plotted with France to reconquer Mexico
Napoleon III sent armies to Mexico Cinco de Mayo, 1862:
Zaragoza won the Battle of Puebla against the French, but the French won the war
Napoleon III appointed a relative, Austrian archduke Maximilian, as emperor of Mexico
Juarez resisted, US sent troops to Mexico - French gave up in 1867
Juarez continued reforms
Mid-1870s, new caudillo Indian who rose up through the ranks Supported by Indians, small landowners and
military “Order and progress,” but no liberty
Francisco “Pancho” Villa - Robin-Hood policy Emiliano Zapata - “Tierra y libertad” Francisco Madero - appointed President, but
resigned and was murdered General Victoriano Huerta took presidency Villa and Zapata supported Venustiano Carranza,
overthrew Huerta. Carranza murdered Zapata. 1917, new constitution (in use today) Carranza otherthrown by Alvaro Obregon
Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 divided the Atlantic between Spain and Portugal
Portugal was mostly focused on routes to Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries
In 1807, Napoleon marched on Iberian peninsula, forcing Portuguese royal family of King John VI to escape to Brazil, Portugal’s largest colony.
From 1807 to 1815, Brazil was center of Portuguese empire.
With defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Portugal wanted Brazil to become a colony again.
By 1822, creoles demanding independence signed a petition asking Portugal’s prince, Dom Pedro, to rule Brazil.
On Sept 7, 1822, Dom Pedro agreed, and declared Brazil’s independence
Emperor Pedro I, to emulate Napoleon and to unify various elements of Brazil.
Pedro’s political and personal problems led to a decline in his popularity.
1889, Brazilians overthrew Pedro’s successor and declared their country a republic.
Several other Central American states declared their independence from both Spain and Mexico to create the United Provinces of Central America.
By 1841, United Provinces of Central America had split into republics of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras.
Conservative clergy and wealthy landowners resisted liberal, democratic reforms.
Inability to agree to terms of a canal cost it much-needed revenue.
Stepped in to fill admin positions where inexperienced Creoles failed
Often drawn from independence armies. Possessed organization skills Gained support of Creole landowners and
church officials eager to suppress peasant unrest
Often faced revolts and coups, too Military hierarchy helped compensate for weakly
developed civil administrations
Strongman Rule, Liberalism, commercial development Dictators in Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia Caudillo = strongman leader Relied on force Outlawed opposition, regulated schools and newspapers Used jails, police and firing squads Often corrupt Sometimes supported liberal policies
Liberal governments return to power Even strongmen often supported “liberal” policies
Regular elections, but with restricted voting rights (oligarchic democracies)
Mining Estate agriculture (Shift from plantation) Extension of road and rail networks. Foreign investment. Immigration.
End of slavery in 1880s Leads to new demand for labor Argentina’s policies encouraging immigration led
to 3/4 of the pop foreign-born.
Political/Social: Continued battles between liberals, conservatives and the
military over how to best rule Tensions between articulate political forces and the separate
masses Economic:
Unable to free itself from dependence on Western-controlled economic patterns.
Cultural/intelligent: Distinct cultural entity
Combination of Western styles and values plus its racial diversity, colonial past, and social structure of a semi-colonial economy
Caudillos Strong military leaders emerge Dictatorship and totalitarian systems emerge
Dependency theory challenged Western European markets determine the product South America dependent upon others buying their one
crop Banana Republics
United Fruit Company controlled Central America in late 19th and early 20th century
Phrase coined to designate politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, wealthy and corrupt clique put in power by the United States government in conjunction with the CIA and the US business lobby