LATIN AMERICAHISTORY AND CULTURE

Chapters 10, 11, 12

• What were the cultures of Mexico like before the Spanish arrived?

• How did Spanish control change Mexico?• What has Mexico’s history been like since

independence?

MEXICOHistory and Culture

• Many cultures existed, each with its own language and customs.

• Farmers grew beans, corn, peppers, and squash.

• Complex civilizations—Maya, Olmec, Toltec, Zapotec—had large city centers.

• The Aztecs created an empire and a great capital city, Tenochtitlán, in south central Mexico.

History and CultureEarly Cultures of Mexico

Question

What changes occurred in Mexico during the colonial period?

History and Culture

Religion

Population

Government

Farming

Many indigenous people were killed by European diseases.

Small communal ejidos were replaced by large haciendas.

Aztec Empire was replaced by a Spanish colonial government.

Mestizos became the largest segment of the population.

Most people were converted to Roman Catholicism.

History and Culture

Disease

• After independence (1821), powerful families still in control• Northern territory lost in 1848 after war with United States• Late 1800s—Foreign investment fueled economic growth, inequality• Mexican Revolution (1910–1920)—Some reform, but power remained in

few hands• Modern economy open to foreign business• Increasingly urban and industrial, with large tourist industry• Society changing rapidly; more democratic politics

History and CultureMexico since Independence

• How does Central America’s history continue to shape the region today?

• What economic, political, and social conditions exist in the region?

• What factors influenced the development of central America’s cultural heritage?

Central AmericaHistory and Culture

Central America’s Cultural Heritage

CatholicismUnequal distribution of wealthSpanish colonists introduced

Spanish-style architecture and town planningMestizos a major ethnic group

Spanish language

• Commercial export agriculture, with strong foreign influence

• Powerful families control society, government, military

• Widespread poverty and inequality causing emigration, unrest

• El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala—Violence, civil war

• Honduras—Poorest country; rough terrain, lack of development

• Panama—Variety of conditions, from wilderness jungle to modern industry

• Costa Rica—Greatest stability, highest standard of living

Central AmericaEconomic, Political, and Social Conditions

• What are some important events in the history of the Caribbean?

• What cultural and population patterns are found in the region?

• What activities support the economies of the Caribbean countries?

The Caribbean

• Columbus’s arrival in 1492 began Spanish colonization.

• British, Dutch, and French competed for control.

• Europeans created plantations based on slave labor.

• Haiti gained independence in 1804.

• U.S. took Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain in the Spanish-American War of 1898.

• Many Caribbean islands remained colonies until the mid-1900s.

The CaribbeanImportant Events in Caribbean History

Question

What nations have influenced the culture of countries in the Caribbean?

The Caribbean

The Caribbean

African—Most countries, notably Haiti and Jamaica

American—Cuba, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Asian—Trinidad and Tobago, others

British—Several countries

Cultural Influence in the Caribbean

The Caribbean

Dutch—Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, others Caribbean Indian—Dominica, St. Vincent and

the Grenadines, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, others

French—Several countries, notably Haiti

Spanish—Several countries, notably Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic

Cultural Influence in the Caribbean

• Mainly of European and African descent

• Asian immigrants influence some countries (Trinidad and Tobago)

• Small Caribbean Indian population

• Language—Based on colonial history (Spanish, English, French, Dutch, creole)

• Religion—Catholic, Protestant, African, Hindu, Islamic

The CaribbeanCultural Patterns

• 70% of the population lives in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic

• Largest city is Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital

• Rapid population growth produces unemployment, emigration, urbanization

The CaribbeanPopulation Patterns

• Except for Cuba (command economy), market economies dominate the region.

• Caricom, the Caribbean Community and Common Market, was developed to promote industry and trade.

• Agricultural exports are the key activity: sugar, bananas, cacao, citrus, spices.

• Mining is important in some countries.

• Puerto Rico has developed industry based on U.S. policies.

• Tourism is important throughout the region.

The CaribbeanEconomic Activities

• What were some important events in the early history of South America?

• How did the colonial era and independence affect South America?

• What are some important features of South America’s cultures?

SOUTH AMERICAHistory and Culture

• First inhabitants, hunter-gatherers, arrived more than 12,000 years ago.• Various early civilizations arose, including the Chibcha of Colombia.• Incan civilization spanned much of Andean region.• Spanish conquered the Inca in the 1530s.• Spain and Portugal divided the continent: Spain in the west, Portugal in the

east.• Colonists brought new plants, animals, and diseases.• Portuguese brought slave labor to Brazil to work sugar plantations.

South AmericaHistory and Culture

Early History

Question

How did the colonial period and independence affect South America?

History and Culture

Colonization

Inca conqueredLands taken by EuropeansEuropean animals and agricultural products

introducedDeath of indigenous people from European diseases

and conquest

Dictatorships supported by wealthy familiesMilitary coups and political instabilityCountries still isolatedBorders still on colonial boundaries

Independence

Causes and Effects in South America’s History

• Great Ethnic Variety—Mixed-race, European, American Indian, African, East Indian, Japanese

• Language—Reflects colonization; Indian languages still spoken

• Religion—Majority Roman Catholic; also Hinduism, Islam, traditional indigenous religions

• Traditional Culture, despite change

History and CultureCultural Features