Colonial Latin American History
Colonial Latin America Before Conquest
Mayan Empire : (400-1000,1000-1500 CE)
present day Guatemala, Honduras, Belize southern Mexico, and Yucatan
created the Calendar, made advances in astronomy and agriculture
disappearance gave rise to the Aztecs
Aztec Empire (1246-1519)
present day Central Mexico
believed in human sacrifice, constructed the capital Tenochtitlan developing extended commercial routes and large-scale markets, spread a common language
Inca Empire (1438-arrival of Europeans)
present day Peru highlands and Chile
achieved political organization and expanded agricultural productivity, used llama
Indigenous Peripheries
rural tribes, most effective in fighting off the Spaniards because of their ability to move around and adapt
The Yanomami -- who the Europeans first met when they arrived in Americas
Arawak
Caribs
Iberia Before Conquest
Early Iberians: came to Iberia and settled from many different cultures, kicked out the Muslims
Muslims came back in 711, and defeated the last Gothic King, set up capital at Cordoba.
Reconquista: 711 and continuous efforts lasted until 1492, Christian efforts to take back Iberia, gave rise to Spanish inquisition, spread of jews and muslims throughout other parts of Europe
700 year war: made Iberians militaristic, united as a country, religiously and politically confident, engrained culture of "converting others: influenced ways of acting in Americas"
Iberia joins Castile and Aragon,funds the expedition of CC
Ferdinand and Isabella
Joined Castile and Aragon
married in 1469
strong religious and political reforms
Isabella: allied with towns to police banditry and feudal violence 1476, forces power over nobility, Catholic Church, towns
Stratified society (ranks of people)
Ferdinand: ruled in favor of peasants, peasants now become land owners
Cortes of Toledo: reduced power of nobles
Council of Castile: weakens the power, authority of Monarch
Inquisition: tortured people to encourage christianity
Patranato grant (1493) puts monarchs head of Church in Iberia
Colombus main goal: reach the Indies for more spices and gold, instead lands on the Island of Hispaniola
No spices, so he tried to take back Indians overseas, killed 400 Arawaks in a ship on the way back to Spain
replaced by: Francisco de Bobadilla (1500-1502),
had years of prosperity but was replaced because he gave the settlers too much of the share in gold and mining income decreased
replaced by: Nicholas de Ovando (1502-1509)
founded first colony,
used the encominenda to provide resrouces to settlers
7 years of prosperity
By 1509: little gold was left on the Island of Hispaniola, and colonists were eager to move elsewhere. Native labor was also decreasing at a rapid rate
March 1519: Cortes Marches into Mexico,
Confronts the Aztecs (1519)
Moctezuma: invited Cortes as a guest, not liked by the Aztecs for being naive, Cortes took advantage of him, died in 1520 (killed by Spaniards)
translator: Malintzin (ends up marrying him), provided Cortes with tremendous political advantage
La Noche Triste: Aztec attack against Cortes' armies (1520), set them back but did not stop them
Hatuey: helped the native make weapons, warned Cuba of the injustices done by Spaniards, led natives against Spaniards, but he was captured and burned
Cuantemoc: last Aztec leader, defended for 4 months, captured by Spanish and tortured for wealth, executed because of the fear of an uprising
Fall of Tenochtitlan 1521
Pizarro: conquistador of Peru and the Inkas
Inkas: undergoing a civil war, small pox epidemic, they were weak
assassinated, but his efforts led to the fall of the Inca empire, and the riches there being turned over to Spain.
Tupac Amaru: the last of the royal family of the Incan Empire, by 1570 small posts remained in jungles, executed and after that no hope left for the Inca
Arancanians; begin to adopt European horses, gun powder, traps, were able to keep out the Europeans until the 1870's, (Periphery)
Forced Conversion
Synchretism, Proselytism: indigenous secret practices of their own religious beliefs/mixed beliefs and ideas
Cortes: sent 12 friars, doctrineros, to convert the indigenous. Was warned not to move so quickly in fear of infuriating the indigenous, but he ignored the advice.
Pope Paul III condemned enslavement in 1537, but it did little since most Spaniards still owned slaves
Validiva: Chile conquistador
Conflict between the Church: Some European guilty at treatment of Indigenous Slaves in the Americas
Bartoleme de Las Casas (1474-1566):
Fomer owner of encomienda
Traveled to Americas to convert Indians, but realized the mistreatment and traveled back to Spain
Participated in debate with Seuplveda
Sepulveda: belittles the natives and debates with Las Casas about their rights and dignity, believed them to be barbaric and inhuman and deserving of their misfortunes because of their crimes against man (human sacrifice) and against God (not practicing Catholicism)
New Laws (Charles V, 1542): series of laws set out to regulate the Spanish enslavement of native americans
abolish slavery and get rid of the encomienda system
Antonio de Montesinos: (1511),
spoke out during Mass to the people about the injustices of slavery, refused Sacramnets to those who still owned an Encomienda
They were extremely ineffective and unenforced
Peruvian Revolt led by Pizarro to "defend rights" , assassinated for trying to declare Peru independent of Spain
Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz (1641-1695)
Mexico, she wrote a lot of poetry and prose, encouraged women to be educated, was shut up by the government for her conflicting views
Felipe Guaman de Ayala (Peru ca. 1600):
wrote letter to Spanish monarchs about injustices, etching depicting abuses, 1000 page letter, never received but serves as a resource
Ruling America
Difficulties
Buraucrats
Distance (time, could not make sure plans were going through)
conflict of morality, priests calling for reform
Pressure from papacy
Delayed military action
Transplanted Instituons:
Municipalities, smaller territories
Political organizations
Educational Institutions
Slavery (controversial)
Brought about the Repartimiento to replace the encomienda, originally used by Aztecs and Incas (known as MITA)
Council of Indies: responsible for overseeing affairs in New World, located in Spain, established in 1524, recommended positions of high ranked officials in New World
Viceroyalties in Americas
New Spain (1535) gold and silver
Peru (1540) gold and silver
La Plata (1776)
New Granada (1776)
Visita
Audienca (courts)
Municipality
Cabido (city council)
Alcalde Mayor (city mayor)
Corregidor (administrar in charge of indigenous)
Gobernador (governor)
Encomendero (group of indigenous people leader)
Republico de Indios: a movement to protect some Indians, run by Indians, but they all died out, not very effective, encouraged the Caste System
Examination of indigenous town (count number of indigenous people so you know how many to demand)
Portugal vs. Spain
1500-1535 (no interest in Brazil, spice trade with East India was okay. Nothing in Brazil at first. 1530 begins effective colonization,
private investors: less cost for Spanish government
Martin Alfonso de Sousa, brought the production of sugar can
1534: Royal Decree, creation of hereditary captaincies (defense and exploitation)
portuguese governante did not spend money on it, had nobles, merchants, and businessmen invest
contract between king and people interested in colonization
Donation letter: possession, not ownership of land (leasing)
lack of success due to: no resources, no labor force, constant indian attacks, communication between the captainicies
Indian labor force: encomienda, mita
Establishment of NEW government: General government (1549), presence of general governor( king's representative.
Exploitation of Tobacco, cotton, corn (brought to Brazil), Vanilla, Guarana, Dyewood
Divided into 2 major administrative units: North: State of Marnanho, South, State of Brazil
Iberian Union: 1580-1640
Asiento System: tax put on African slaves, allowed Spanish to import cheap labor
Bahia Brazil, huge slave trade center
mostly taken to brazil and caribbean for sugar plantations
Quilombos: escaped slaves made alliances with Indians
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Replaced by Hacienda (family farm) people came to work on the farm transition known as composition
Church Institutions
Debate about Depression for Spain
Morineau: no depression, growing colonial sufficiency, retention of silver to cover administrative costs
Borah: yes depression, food shortages, decline in collection of wheat, severe labor shortages in the mines drop in construction projects
Kamen: organic weakness, reconquista: depopulated, demoralized,
Society:
Caste System: ranks of people, a divided nation
Latifundio: unequal distribution of land
Purity of Blood: strict control over female choice and sexuality
Gente Decente: the elite, women were given little freedom, elite women without honor became less desirable (sent away)
Gente de Pueblo: women receives less protection, mostly nonwhite, men beat them, they used gossip, withheld sex to control men
Lowest class, nonwhite single males had no social networks
Brazilian Golden Age: 1628-1631 Paulistas vs. Emboabas (immigrants vs. those already there, started a war, Paulistas won)
War of Spanish Succession: Portugal Allies with Britain, Spain and France ally, 1701-1713, rid of British monopoly over slave trade, but a disastrous loss for Spain (now has to rely on silver from Americas), Britain can now trade in Americas, no more monopoly for Spain
Early Bourbon Reforms: - reviewing accounts, cutting waste, attacking smuggling, resurrecting the royal fleet system to colonies, patrolling Caribbean with pirate warships, raised taxes
Uprising of La Plata 1712-1713: Jose de Antequera y Castro, sent to question Balmaceda, removes him, people name Antquera governor, Balmaceda is reinstated, fight occurs between both, Antequera wins and expels jesuits (friends of Balmeceda. Antequera executed
Revolt of 1730, Doctor Fernando Mompo de Zayas friends formerly powerless colonies, first revolts against colonist in European colonial rule
Philip V:started war of spanish succession, fear of possible dynastic upon
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Ferdinand VI, Charles III: enact major reforms, ferdinand VI (1746) high level of revenue, orders secular clergy,
Bourbon Reforms: political goal: efficiency and greater control, system of intendancies (decentralizing the administration at the expense of viceroys), expulsion of jesuits in 1767 (spain), 1772 (New Spain), Economic goals: to raise money, encouraged trade between colonies, increased taxing, and consolidation decree of 1804
Consolidation decree angered colonists because it was to help Europe, and they were not directly connected with Europe,
Hat and Cloak Riots 1766 (too expensive bread,
1772: protests in New Spain over excessive taxation and forces labor
Haiti Independence: 1791 (Toussaint L'overture) created an army that overthrew French authority
Venezuela Independence 1821 Cordobo: Simon Bolivar (Sucre), constitution in Bolivia was a disaster , Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
1817-1826: Completion of Independence in Most countries s
Brazil independence: Jao came to Brazil in flee when napoleons attacked, when he went back, he left his son Pedro and september 1822 Brazil became independent (royal monarchy still) Fico
New Spain Mexico: Augustin Hurbide 3 Guarantees 1. separation, 2. equality of all inhabitants, 3. devotion to catholicism, Hurbide completed independence
Chile: Bernardo O'Higgins, 1814 defeated, San Martin takes over, defeats in 1817, 1818, O'Higgins became president
Paraguay: Manuel Belgrano 1811, forced spanish to marry indigenous
Venezuela; San Martin, traveled through the Andes liberated Chile, then went up to Peru and liberated there, and Gran Colombia in 1819, 1821 last spanish forces, frees Venezuela
State Conflict: Juan Perez de la Serna, Viceroy Mendoza, one excommunicated, one put in jail, Inquisition: 1336-1543 4000 natives tortures in NS
Jesuits: 1609 Philip III ordered reductions, removal of guarani =trail of bones (to brazilian coast as slaves) Jesuits caused trouble because they armed the Indians to defend themselves from slave raiders, wealth from Yerba mate monopoly