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Period: Jan 1, 1450 to
Latin America
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Oct 12, 1492
The Tainos meet Christopher Columbus
Columbus made landfall at the island of San Salvador (originally called Guanahaní by the native Taíno) in the Bahamas. This was important because it was Latin America’s first contact with Europeans, and led to the series of European expeditions that sparked changes – such as the Colombian Exchange – that irrevocably altered the history of Latin America. As well, Columbus’ voyage opened Latin America up for colonization by European powers. -
Jan 1, 1502
Slavery comes to Latin America (cont.)
However, the lower classes did not benefit from this influx of wealth, and so slavery caused wide class and wealth divisions. Slavery also created wide social divisions, as a new class was formed by the children of slaves and owners, typically called mulattos. The members of this new class didn’t exactly fall into one category of society, and could either move up into the elite class as slave owners, or fall into slavery themselves. -
Jan 1, 1502
Slavery comes to Latin America
The first African slaves were brought to Hispañola to work on sugar plantations. The significance of this event is it introduced European slavery to Latin America. Slavery changed the social and economic composition of Latin America. The economy of Latin America expanded as the Europeans and native elites reaped in huge profits off of the products of the large plantations that used slave labor. -
Period: Jan 1, 1519 to Jan 1, 1522
The Conquest and Fall of the Aztec Empire (cont.)
the indigenous peoples of Latin America, as the disease played a large role in the fall of the Aztec Empire. The successor of Moctezuma II, Cuitláhuac, died after eighty days of rule as a result of the illness. Smallpox decimated the native population, and contributed to the fall of numerous Latin American empires, such as that of the Aztecs. -
Period: Jan 1, 1519 to Jan 1, 1522
The Conquest and Fall of the Aztec Empire
Conquistador Hernán Cortés began his siege on the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1519. The fall of the Aztec Empire is important for two main reasons. First, as it was one of the greatest empires of Latin America, its fall was devastating to the political organization of the region and nearly marked the end of native resistance to European colonization by a structured imperial power. Secondly, this event also demonstrated the devastation smallpox brought over by the Europeans wrought on -
Jan 1, 1545
Silver is discovered in Bolivia
The discovery of silver in a small village in Bolivia named Potosí had massive economic and social ramifications. The silver was found in the mountain that overlooks the village, which the Spanish promptly named Cerro Rico, or Mountain of Riches. The Spanish were quick to “impress” the native peoples into the service of mining, a brutal job. -
Jan 1, 1545
Silver is discovered in Bolivia (cont.)
For the Spanish, the discovery proved to be an economic blessing, as the silver mined from this area generated vast amounts of wealth in the form of silver coins, and was a major location in the global flow of silver during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The image to the left is a Spanish drawing of Potosí drawn c. 1624 showing native miners heading towards the mountain to begin extracting the silver. -
Jan 1, 1545
Silver is discovered in Bolivia (cont.)
Many died due to the harsh conditions under which they toiled, and in response many of the native tribes began resisting the mine managers’ attempts to force them to work. Their resistance proved effective enough that the mine managers switched to African slave labor by the early seventeenth century. Nonetheless, the silver mining industry took a social toll on the local population of Potosí, leading to the deaths of many young, able-bodied people, including some children. -
Francisca de Figueroa appealed to Crown
Francisca de Figueroa, an African-Iberian woman, requested that the Spanish Crown grant her permission to sail to Cartagena. In her appeal, she mentions that she is a Catholic. This role of religion was an important factor in being allowed entrance into South America, where Christianity was strictly imposed on the natives as well. If Francisca was a woman of another faith, then the Crown would have hesitated in granting her a license, because it would have disturbed the colonization process. -
Period: to
Bandeira Expeditions
The Bandeiras were expeditions led by a Bandeirantes, who organized private expeditions into Brazil. Initially, the purpose of their expeditions was to capture and enslave the natives; however, soon the Bandeirantes began to focus on discovering gold and silver mines. Either way, the slave raids and explotation of wealth benefited the Bandeirantes at the native's expense. -
El Primer Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno
Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala of Peru sent a 1,200 page letter to King Philip III of Spain asking for protection for native peoples against colonists; he wanted to improve colonial rule rather than to abolish it. He explained the injustices of colonial rule, and wrote of men ruined by overtaxation and women driven to prostitution. However, in the end the document never reached king; the document was rediscovered in the Royal Danish Library in 1908.
<< Primary Source -
El Primer Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno: Primary Source
This primary source is one of many drawings within the 1,200 page document. It illustrates Sancayhuasi, the prison that held criminals and suspects who didn't belong to the noble class. Beasts (as illustrated) inhabited this underground cavern and preyed on the prisoners. This image, along with the other illustrations, was meant to depict the mistreatment and cruelty the colonists imposed on the indigenous people. -
Pueblo Revolt (Popé's Rebellion)
Exploitation and mistreatment prompted the Pueblo Indians to revolt against the Spaniards, who enslaved them to doing physical labor. The rebels, led by shaman Popé, also attacked missions and killed priests and colonists as they forced to convert to Christianity and limited in practicing their own religion. -
Mackandal Rebellion
This rebellion was an uprising of the slaves of Haiti against their masters. The slave Mackandal led his fellow rebels in poisoning their masters and livestock. The rebellion led to the death of many until Mackandal was caught and executed. This coin, used in Haiti today, represents the immense impact Mackandal had on the nation, as he helped to inspire the revolution that would eventually garner Haiti its independence. -
Bourbon Reforms - Expulsion of the Jesuits (cont.)
The image presented shows the Jesuits expulsion from Spain, which occurred simultaneously with the expulsion from Latin America. It reflects the sorrow the Jesuits felt at being expelled en masse for their religious beliefs. This image, because it was painted in Spain, does not reflect the unhappiness with the removal of the Jesuits from Latin America, which was quelled with military force. -
Bourbon Reforms - Expulsion of the Jesuits
In this year, Charles III of Spain expelled Jesuit priests from the Latin American colonies, as he perceived them as a credible threat to Spanish authorit, both in government, and in the church (where the Jesuits followed the pope). They were esteemed in the community due to their native and Spanish heritage, and were not beholden to the laws of the Spanish monarchy. There was a great deal of discontent in the Latin American colonies due to the Jesuit expulsion. -
Charles IV Reforms Trade between Spain and its Colonies
In, 1790, Charles IV allowed more trade with American colonies to begin in the ports of Spain and its other western European possessions by abolishing the Casa de Contratacion. Tariffs were eliminated on imported goods, and goods imported and exported grew. This helped to develop the economies of both lands, though it primarily benefitted the wealthier European lands. -
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Haitian/Saint-Domingue Slave Rebellion
In 1791, the slaves of Saint-Domingue rose up against their masters in armed resistance. They were led by Toussaint Louveture, who caused infighting between foreign nations attempting to quell the revolt. The land did not gain independence until January 1, 1804, after they successfully drove off Napoleon's French troops after he attempted to restore his rule. -
Haitian/ Saint-Domigue Revolution: Primary Source
This image displays the importance of Touissant Louveture to the Haitian Revolution. He was held in such high esteem that he was able to engage in diplomatic negotiations with British authorities. This also displays a tactic that helped ensure the longevity of the revolutiom. Louveture was able to make negotiations with different powers and play them against one another to divert hostilities away from the rebels and towards other foreign lands. -
Dissolution of Gran Colombia
The large state that had encompassed most of Northern South America had been an ambitious attempt to unite colonies in South America like the United States had in North America. It was called Gran Columbia, and had barely lasted a decade and a half. It was seperated into smaller nations such as Peru, Venezuela, Columbia and Ecuador. It was an attempt to unite all South Americans under one culture, and one ruler, seperate from the Spanish and Porteguese but still ruled by Creole elite. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War. It was written mostly by the United States and gave a lot of Mexican land to the U.S. It created resentment of the U.S. in Mexico and also increased slavery debates in the territory. It did not completely end Mexican border disputes and led to shifts in Mexican migration. -
War of the Triple Alliance
A costly war fought between 1864 and 1870 that involved much of South America. Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay signed an alliance against Paraguay that led to a war that completely ravaged the countries. It descimated the male populations of belligerent nations and settled long standing border disputes in the region forming the modern borders of the four nations. It also marked an increase in the participation of women in public settings, as men went off to war and women took over positions. -
Spain loses control over territory in Latin America
After losing to the Americans in the Spanish American War, sovereignty is granted to Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Phillippines, and Guam are ceded to the U.S. This effectively ends the Spanish empire and any Spanish control in Latin America. This leaves Latin American affairs up to their own governments and no outside empires.
