In colonial times Spanish Latin America was divided into which four viceroyalties; what were their capitals?  

New Spain- Mexico City

Peru-Lima

New Granada-Bogota

Rio de la Plata- Buenos Aires

What did the Treaty of Tordesillas establish?

Established the boundary between the Portuguese and Spanish. Lands to the east of the land belong to Portugal and lands to the west of line belong to Spain.

mercantilism

– Body known at the house of trade is responsible for the implementation of the large and complex set of laws. Purpose is to enrich the Spanish monarchs to the fullest extent possible. Colonies prohibited from trading directly as well as with foreign nations. 

encomienda

– A means of protecting the Indians from the ravages, whom were feared would kill natives. Indians were gathered into new settlements, had to learn a new language, and had to entrust themselves to their new Spanish masters. Virtually made the Indians slaves rather then protect them.

latifundio

land grants that were granted to soldiers as compensation for previous military conquests in outlying portions of the Roman Empire.

What were the impacts of mercantilism on Latin American society?    

-Crippled industry and commerce – already laboring under the handicap of being excluded from technologies originating in the industrializing nations of northern Europe

-Promoted widespread contraband trade and disrespect for law

-Contributed to reservoir of ill will between American-born Spaniards and European born people.

What was the mita system?

-Ancient Incan system where the ruling Incas has exacted labor from their subject villages.

-Communal labor performed by Inca villagers 

. List main impacts of colonialism.

Cultural: language, religion, architecture, music, food

Economic: agrarian structure (land distribution, labor systems), structure of international trade, singleexport

economies

Social: rigid social stratification

Demographic: Amerindian depopulation

What was and was not accomplished by political independence in Latin America?

Accomplished: transfer of power from Iberian to Creole, emergence of military, adoption of laissez-faire

policies (no government intervention on trade)

Didn’t accomplish: structural change- at national level (more equal distribution of land and wealth, more

equality for people) –at international level (international structure of trade)

What was the size and where were the areas of concentration of the Amerindian population at the time of the Conquest?

50 million. Andean highlands, highlands of Central America and Guatemala, and Central Mexican Plateau

Locate the culture areas of the Aztecs, Mayas, Chibchas, and Incas    

Aztecs: Central Mexican Plateau

Mayas: highlands of Central America (Yucatan Peninsula)

Chibchas: Andean highlands of Columbia

Incas: Andes

See Map

Locate the areas of concentration of the African and Asian populations

African: northeastern Brazil, Caribbean, Gulf coast of Mexico, Caribbean coast of Central America

In which regions do whites predominate?

Southern South American to Middle South America, stopping near southern Brazil, with the exception of the west coast

southeastern Brazil, most of Argentina, Uruguay

Name and locate the main urban settlements of pre-Columbian Latin America (Tenochtitlán, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Palenque, Tikal, Copán Cuzco). With which cultures were these settlements associated? 

Tenochtitlan: Aztec (Mexico)

Chichen Itza: Maya (Yucatan Peninsula)

Uxmal: Maya (Yucatan Peninsula)

Palenque: Maya (Southern highlands of Mexico)

Tikal: Maya (Guatemala)

Cuzco: Inca (Peru

Describe some the outstanding accomplishments of the major Amerindian cultures.

Aztecs: urban development, floating gardens, political and military skills, leather, wood-working, pottery,

lit, music, poetry

Maya: math, astronomy, lit, architecture, calendar

Chibchas: gold smithing, artisans, farming

Incas: military conquest, engineering and technology- roads, bridges, terraces, irrigation

What was the largest city of pre-Columbian America?

Tenochititlan

What were the main causes of death of the Indian population during the colonial period?

Infectious diseases from Europe, environmental factors (hunger), warfare

Miscegenation 

Racial Mixing, became a taboo among the English Puritans who settle Anglo America but was never an issue to the Spanish and Portuguese colonists in Latin America. 

Syncretism

Catholism that emerged among the native peoples that was a mix that consisted of medieval Iberian customs and ceremonies superimposed over a base of ancient pre-conquest Indian practices. Mixing Catholicism with Indians religious beliefs

manumission.

Briefly describe Latin America’s social stratification.

Small elite upper class, lower class had little opportunity to improve, huge underclass

What Indian languages are widely spoken in Latin America? Where? What countries recognize an

Indian language as a second official language?

Aztecs: Nahuatl (Mexico)

Mayas: Yucatec (Mexico)

Incas: Quechua, Aymara (Peru & Bolivia)

Second official language: Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay

Define formal and folk Catholicism. Among what population is folk Catholicism growing?

Formal: official form as taught by official Church and doctrine, pope, etc.

Folk: syncretic form

Growing in Indians and Africans.

Define the main features of Candomblé.

Worship of Orixas, animal sacrifices, highly commercialized cult with priests using black magic and

incense.

Describe the characteristics of Latin American Protestantism. What population(s) is (are) most

attracted to Protestantism?

Protestantism: egaliteranian organization, dominated by fundamentalist beliefs & practices, largely

Indigenous and independents of foreign control

Populations: rural areas and urban lower classes because underclass was excluded.

What is Latin America’s fastest-growing non-Catholic religion?

Protestantism

What has been the response of the Catholic Church towards the diffusion of Protestantism in Latin

America?

Increased lay involvement, efforts to strengthen formal institutional church, conferences and popal visits,

increased attention to social inequalities, liberation theology movement.

List important characteristics of Amerindian agriculture (crops cultivated, animals domesticated,

technological achievements, polyculture).

Crops: beans, rice

Animals: llama, alpaca, guinea pigs, vicinas

Technology: large scale irrigation, terracing of fields, sunken fields

Polyculture: many crops in one field at one time

Describe waru waru agriculture.

raised field agriculture on wetlands

List important impacts of European colonization on Amerindian agriculture.

Intro of new crops and animals, intro of new tools (plow), decline of indigenous agriculture, labor

relocation (agriculture to mining), abandonment of terraces, drained, and raised fields.

Haciendas

o   Monoculture, export oriented, tropical coastal location, high risk, profit maximizing, slave/wage labor, private/state/corporate ownership.

§  The plantation controversy

      Hacienda

o   Mixed farming, domestic market, highland location, risk minimizing, low productivity per ha., serfdom/wage labor, private ownership.

   Estancia

o   Cattle ranch, export and domestic market, midlatitude and tropical grasslands, payment in kind/use of plot/wage labor, private ownership

The plantation controversy. What are some advantages and disadvantages of plantation agriculture?

Advantages: increased revenue from export, creates jobs, employs local people

Disadvantages: high risk crop failure, depends on market, uses a lot of land, low paying jobs, foreign

ownership and control

a.  Eastern Amazonia has considerable mineral wealth

b.  Fertile soils cover most of the basin

c.  The exploitation of rubber contributed to