Latin America: Colonization and Urbanization

Latin America:Colonization

and Urbanization

1450-1750

Pre-Invasion

• Describe what life was like for Mesoamerica

• Describe life in the Andean Highlands

1492

• The end of the Reconquista

• The Moors expelled (and the Jews)

• Cristobal Colombo

Columbus Voyage, 1492

What was effect back in Europe?

• New commodities

• New land

• New ideas

• New groups of immigrants

Who went to the New World?

• In Latin America:– The Spanish and Portuguese commoners:

• Merchant class• Non-nobles, seeking nobility

– Conquistadores

And they did what?• Tried to establish fiefs• Created plantation

economy• 3 phases:

1.) 1492-1570colonial administration (Indian discrimination/slavery)2.) 1570-1700Colonial society & economy reached maturity3.) 1700sreform in American colonies

The Spanish CaribbeanIndigenous 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

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)

The Road the Ancient Mexicas Travelled

Pizarro

• 1532-1533• Defeated the Inca at

the capital, Cuzco• Looted gold, silver,

other precious metals, jewels from Incan buildings, dead bodies, etc.

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

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

Impact on Native Indian Populations

• Population decline• Rise of mestizos• Indian Slavery• Econmiendas• Mita• Flee to the cities

Plaza de Recocijo de Potosi (1830, oil painting)

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)

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.

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

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!

The Bourbons• Increased viceroyalties• Exposed corrupt

rulers/removed from office

• Improved military readiness of colonies

• Colonized California

The Bourbons

• Created monopolies/improved economy• Weakened Latin American position (created

dependency)• Alienated Creole leadership

So, kill the tyrant!

• The Creole leadership lead to revolts against the crown

• New Granada

• Peru

• But, social/racial disparity prevented widespread & unified revolt

So, where does that leave us?

• Widespread social unrest

• Widespread racial unrest

• Widespread economic disparity