Colonization and Revolution in Latin America

Colonization

and Revolution
in Latin America

Pre- Colonialism

●Latin America is home to many
indigenous groups

●Age of Exploration (1400s-1600s)-
a time when European countries
began exploring the world

○Goals-

■Gold- make money and find
trade routes

■God- spread Christianity

■Glory- gain land and power

Open Ended

What are the 3 goals of exploration? Explain why those might encourage a country to explore the world?

Multiple Choice

Based on the map on the previous slide, what was the main country that explored Latin America?

• English

• French

• Dutch

• Spanish

Colonialism

●Colonialism- One nation controls an area
and its government, economy, resources,
and society

●Colonial government- everything was
decided by the European nation, also called
the “Mother Nation”

○Governor/ leader of colony was chosen by the
“Mother Country”

○Very rarely did the colonies have a chance to
govern themselves

●Colonial economies were based on
mercantilism

○The basis of this economic system is that colonies
exist to benefit the “mother country”

■Colonies provide natural resources/raw
materials (fur, timber, minerals) to the
mother country.

■The mother country
manufactures/produces goods from those
raw materials and sell those goods back to
the colonies and to other countries.

■This way the mother country maintains
maximum profit.

Multiple Choice

What country colonized the majority of Latin America?

• English

• Spanish

• Dutch

• French

Open Ended

Describe the relationship between the Mother Country and the colonies under mercantilism.

Colonization in Brazil

●Both Spain and Portugal were
interested in the New World

●To limit conflict, both countries asked
the Pope to find a solution

○Solution- Treaty of Tordesillas
(1494)

■All land west of the line
belong to Spain, all land east
of the line belong to Portugal

●Result- Brazil becomes the only
Portuguese territory and is still the
only country in South America with
Portuguese heritage

Official Languages
in South America

Under Colonialism- Columbian Exchange

Columbian Exchange- the transfer of plants, animals,
diseases, ideas, and people between the Old World (Europe,
Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas)

New World

●Corn

●Potatoes

●Squash

●Peppers

●Tomatoes

●Chocolate

●Turkeys

Old World

●Wheat

●Rice

●Grapes

●Cattle

●Sheep

●Pigs

●Chickens

●Horses

This also included the

enslavement of Africans and
bringing them to the Americas

to work on plantations

Open Ended

Map Reading

How does this map show movement?

Multiple Select

Map Reading

What are some of the things that went FROM the Americas TO Europe, Africa, and Asia? Pick 3

• Corn

• Peppers

• Cattle

• Potatoes

• Onions

Under Colonialism- Plantations and Slavery

●Europeans established large plantations in
their Latin American colonies

●Sugar, cotton, and coffee industries
boomed, requiring a large number of
workers.

○At first Native Americans were forced to work on
the plantations

■Encomienda- a system allowing Spanish
colonists to demand labor from Native
Americans

○When many Native Americans died, Europeans
brought in hundreds of thousands of enslaved
Africans to work the plantations

●Led to the creation and expansion of the
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Open Ended

How did the creation of large plantations lead to the creation and expansion the Trans-Atlantic slave trade?

Multiple Choice

The larger the arrow is the more slaves going to that area. Where did the majority of slaves go?

• Brazil

• Mexico

• United States

• Caribbean

Open Ended

Making Connections

How are plantations and slavery connected to the Columbian Exchange?

Under Colonialism- Unequal Society

●The European nations in charge
of these colonies wanted to keep
loyal subjects in charge of things
in the colony (head of
government , church, military etc)
so they only wanted those who
were “pure blood” or born in
Europe to hold these offices,
because they felt they were the
ones they could trust the most.

●Unfortunately, place of birth and
your ethnic status had a large
impact on your status or worth
of a person and what your
profession and standard of living
would be in the colonies.

Born in
Europe

Multiple Choice

What is a Creole?

• A person from Europe

• A mix between European and African

• A person born in the Americas, but of 100% European descent

Multiple Select

What social group is in charge of the government in Latin American colonies? (pick 2)

• Mulattoes

• Creoles

• Mestizo

• Peninsulars

Multiple Choice

Where do Native Americas fall in Latin American social structure?

• At the top of the social pyramid

• At the bottom of the social pyramid

Revolutions!

Mexican Revolution

●The people were getting upset
at their treatment and hoped
independence would create a
more equal society

●1810- Miguel Hidalgo led a
rebellion

○Hidalgo is executed by the
Spanish in 1811

●Agustin de Iturbide continued
the fight

●Mexico gained independence
in 1821

○Spanish rulers replaced by
wealthy Mexican landowners

■Majority of people
remained poor

Haitian Revolution

●Led by Toussaint
L’Ouverture (a military
leader and former slave) in
1803

●Gained independence from
France in 1804

●Became the first country
to be founded by former
slaves

Revolutions!

Simon Bolivar-

●Called “the Liberator”

○Liberate means to set free

●Led Venezuela, Colombia,
Panama, and Ecuador to
independence

○United them together to form
Gran Colombia in 1819

●Bolivar died in 1830

○Gran Colombia broke apart

■Ecuador, Venezuela,
Panama, and Colombia
became independent
countries

●Tensions remain and led to
continued unrest

Jose de San Martin-

●Helped Argentina, Chile, and
Peru become free during the
early 1800’s

●Used guerrilla warfare- using
troops who know the local
landscape and are able to use it
to their advantage

After Independence

●Independence from Europe
didn’t instantly create peace
and democracy

●Many countries continue to struggle
politically and economically

○Conflict between rival political
groups is very common

■Assassinations and violence

■Coups- Individuals trying to
seize control of the
government

○Extremely uneven wealth
distribution between rich and poor

Multiple Choice

Map Reading

When did Chile get their independence and from what country?

• 1818 from the Spanish

• 1816 from the Spanish

• 1818 from the British

• 1816 from the Portuguese

Open Ended

Did independence from European nations bring peace to the people of Latin America? What are some problems that still plague them?