Latin America Regents Review

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Latin America Regents Review
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4 Distinct Regions

• Mexico
• Central America
• South America
• Islands of the Caribbean

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Topography

• Physical barriers limits unity.
• Andes mountains and Amazon river promote
  regionalism.

4
Other Rivers

• Rio De La Plata
• Orinoco River

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Climate

• Near Equator
• 3/4 lies in the Tropical Zone. Provide climate
  for Rain forests.
• Deforestation
• Tropical Savannas.
• Arid Lands (Deserts)

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Natural Resources

• Topography makes farming difficult. Cash Crop
  dependence.
• Lacks natural resources for industrialization.
• Does possess oil, tin and silver.

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Geographic Themes

• Barriers discourage unity and encourage
  regionalism.
• Diverse cultural development.
• Environmental issues.
• Overpopulation and cash crop dependency.

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Indian Empires

• Mayan Empire (300 - 900)
• Polytheistic
• Religious rituals centered around the season.
• Writing and Math using concept of zero.

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• Accurate calendar.
• Astronomical observatories.
• Great cities.
• Art and architecture.

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Aztecs (1200 - 1521)

• Warrior society / rigid class structure.
• Conquered a huge empire.
• Used prisoners as slaves.
• Human sacrifices.

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Inca Empire (1200 - 1535)

• Emperor descendent of sun god.
• Extensive road, building and engineering.
• Record keeping and measurement.
• Medical knowledge of surgery and disease.

12
European Exploration

• New trade routes to the East
• Mercantilist economic theory.
• Christian missionary.
• Treaty of Tordesillas
• Conquistadors

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Mercantilism

• Provided raw materials for the mother country.
• Provided a market for finished goods.
• Mother country controlled a monopoly.

14
Encomienda System

• Large scale cultivation of cash crops (coffee,
  sugar and tobacco).
• Land grants and control of native labor.
• Slave labor extended to Africa.

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Rigid Class Structure

• Peninsulares (Europeans)
• Creoles
• Mestizos and Mulattoes
• Native Americans and African Slaves

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• A small privileged class controlled vast areas of
  land and thus controlled its political and
  economic power.

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Role of the Catholic Church

• Established schools.
• Taught agriculture.
• Worked to end abuses
• The church eventually grew rich and gradually
  supported the ruling elite, or upper class.

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Independence Movements

• The Enlightenment, the American Revolution, and
  the French Revolution.
• Napoleons Impact

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Independence Movements

• Toussaint-Louverture in Haiti
• Black Slaves in Haiti gained independence first
  in Latin America
• Louverture led a rebellion against French
  plantation owners

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Independence Movements

• Father Miguel Hidalgo in Mexico

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Independence Movements (1803-1825)

• Simon Bolivar a.k.a. The Liberator. Led a
  revolt against Spanish colonial rule. President
  of Gran Columbia.
• Jose De San Martin A professional soldier who
  won independence for Argentina

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• Bernardo OHiggins Chilean general who fought
  with Martin to free Chile.

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Failure of Representative Democracy

• Geographic barriers, border disputes, regional
  rivalries and a lack of a democratic tradition
  made political unification of all of Latin
  America impossible.
• Thus begins the rise of the Caudillos. (Porfirio
  Diaz)

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Post Colonial Latin America

• Economic and Social Inequality
• Catholic Church Conservatism
• The Monroe Doctrine
• Colonialism replaced by economic imperialism.
• Spanish American War
• Panama Canal.

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20th Century Revolutions

• Mexican Revolution
• Fidel Castro Leader of Cubas communist
  revolution.
• Sandinistas Marxist revolutionary group.
• Contras U.S. supported rebels fighting the
  Sandinistas.

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Economic Evolution

• Haciendas Colonial agricultural system.
• Single Crop Economy
• Land Reform
• Nationalization Government take control of the
  industries to keep the profits at home.

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Identifications

• Salvador Allende Freely elected Marxist
  president of Chile.
• Fidel Castro Cuban revolutionary leader who
  established a Marxist government.

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• Daniel Ortega Leader of communist Nicaragua.
• Juan Peron Leader of Argentina, pursued
  economic policy which led to inflation.

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• Roosevelt Corollary (Big Stick) 1904 corollary
  to the Monroe Doctrine. U.S. would exercise
  international police power in Latin American
  countries.

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Identifications

• Monroe Doctrine Western Hemisphere closed to
  further European colonization.
• Good Neighbor Policy U.S. policy not to
  interfere with internal dispute in L.A.

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Identifications

• Organization of American States Promotion of
  international cooperation and provide a peaceful
  forum for regional disputes. 35 members
  including the U.S.

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• Bay of Pigs U.S. supported rebel invasion of
  Cuba.
• Alliance for Progress Instituted in 1961 and
  later abandoned in 1974.

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Communist Expansion

• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
• Overthrow of Allende (1973)
• Invasion of Grenada (1983)
• Support for El Salvador Contras (1980s)
• Expulsion of Cuba from the O.A.S.

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War on Drugs

• General Manuel Noriega overthrown, arrested,
  tried and convicted.
• Peru fighting a guerilla war .
• U.S. cut off aid to government and increased fund
  to other governments.

• Distribution of cocaine and marijuana.
• Latin American nations earn needed revenues from
  sale of drugs.
• Drug lords.
• Colombian cocaine brings in as much as coffee.

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Economic Development

• Lack of industry
• Inflation
• Debt Payments
• Growing population
• Deforestation

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Population Explosion

• 500 million people
• Improved public health
• Cultural values stress high birth rates and large
  families.