Latin American History can be broken down into 3 major time periods:
Pre Colonial
Colonial
Post Colonial (After Latin American countries gained their independence from European nations)
For the Pre Colonial Period we looked at several groups
Olmecs
—Based in Mexico,
known as the Mother Civilization of Mexico,
known for their giant stone heads, as well as figures like the Wrestler.
Believed by some historians to come from Africa, or Asia (stone heads suggest Africa, Wrestler suggests Asia)
Maya
—Based in Mexico as well as Guatemala
—Known for their advances in science and technology,
Mayan calendar(more accurate than our own)
known for their participation in the ball game (losers were sacrificed),
developed the concept of zero,
had an original written language (Mayan Codices)
–their rulers also practiced ritual bloodletting to bring about blessing from the gods.
Aztecs
—Based in Mexico
—ruled from Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City) dominated and demanded tribute from surrounding tribes.
Conquered by the Spanish (led by Hernan Cortes in 1519)
Incas
Based in modern day Peru (Cusco, Machu Picchu)
—Civilization lasted for approximately 100 years
Lived primarily in the Andes mountains
Believed in ancestor worship, also believed in the preservation of bodies (mummies) Atahualpa was the last emperor of the Inca. The Inca were conquered by the Spanish (led by Francisco Pizarro in 1532 )
Nazca
Based in what is today modern day Chile,
famous for their artistic lines in the Atacama desert.
These lines are believed to be either for a religious ceremonies, a calendar, or some believe were designed to communicate with beings from outer space.
Colonial Period
The Spanish conquered much of Latin America. Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese. England, France, and the Netherlands also established colonies in Latin America
The Spanish in particular influenced the region in terms of language(Spanish), architecture (cathedrals and other structures) and religion (Catholicism)
The colonial period also brought in a social system that was defined (from the top of the social order to the bottom by the:
Peninsulares—European born people who moved to the New World
Creoles—People of European blood but born in the New World
Mestizos—People of mixed European and native blood
Indians—Full blooded natives
This social system continues to be manifested to this day in many parts of Latin America.
We looked at 3 short stories during this unit.
“The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar used a literary technique known as Magic Realism to tell a tale of a nameless protagonist who suffers a motorcycle accident, and while in the hospital dreams that he is a Moteca warrior who is fleeing from the Aztecs during the “War of the Blossom” or “Flower War”. The story takes place in Mexico City/Tenochtitlan) In the story the protagonist continues to bounce back and forth from the “present” to the “past” only to have the author reveal in the end that the protagonist was in the past dreaming of the future.
“Just Lather, That’s All”- by Henando Tellez--takes place in Colombia during the post colonial period (probably in the early 1900s) It is a time where the military government is cracking down on those who protest the government. The protagonist, a small town barber, is confronted in his shop by Captain Torres, a man who has repeatedly tortured and killed those who have protested the government. As he gives Captain Torres a shave (using an old style razor) the protagonist has to make the decision of whether or not he will kill Captain Torres. Ultimately, the barber chooses not kill Torres, and it is revealed that Torres knew that the barber was part of the rebels.
“The Truth”—by Rodreigo Rey Rosa—This story is based in Guatemala where nearly half of the population is pure Indian. In this story based in the mid-to-late 20th century the protagonist has an argument with his father (who calls him a liar) and then travels by horse to a freeway overpass. The protagonist then hurls a large stone down to the freeway causing a traffic accident. The protagonist is pursued by people from the accident, until he finds a boy of a lower social class (symbolized by the boy not wearing shoes) and then the protagonist blames the boy for the accident and the boy is taken away by the people who had pursued the protagonist. In the end, the protagonist tells his family “The Truth” (that he probably killed a woman) by they don’t believe him.
We also looked at 5 countries in more detail
Mexico—Capital Mexico City (at times the most populated city in the world)
—gained independence from Spain in 1821.
Dealt with war with both the United States, and France in the mid 1800s.
Mexico today faces both challenges with economic development, danger with drug cartels, and is a major player in immigration with the United States.
El Salvador
—Located in Central America.
Capital San Salvador.
Our focus on El Salvador was looking at Archbishop Oscar Romero’s transformation from a somewhat timid bookworm to a champion for the poor and social justice in the late 1970s. (see the Romero Introduction page on line for a review of some of the themes we looked at)
Costa Rica
— Located in Central America
— Capital San Jose—We focused on Costa Rica having no standing military (unusual in a region that has had much instability) and that they depend on eco-tourism a a major part of their economy
Peru
—Located in South America
—Capital Lima
–Home to the Inca
—A land of diverse terrain (from the Atacama desert on the Pacific coast—to the towering Andes Mountains—to the edges of the Amazon Rainforest in the east)
Brazil
—Capital Brasilia,,--
Largest country in Latin America
—Colonized by the Portuguese, dominated by the Amazon Rainforest though there is a diverse amount of landforms/climates as well.
We also looked at the Favelas (slums) that dominate many urban areas in Brazil as well as other Latin American countries.