The Consolidation

of Latin America

Stearns 25

¿Quien Es Su Padré?• 18th Century Western Enlightenment

o Faith in progresso Reformo Representational/constitutional government

• BUT a different colonial experience, so…

Colonial Baggage• Centralized colonial governments

o No tradition of participationo Political, economic, and social dependency

• Extreme class divisionso Based on birth

• Race• Location

o Very little opportunity for mobility

Sociedad de las CastasFour major categories

o Peninsulareso Creoleso Mestizoso Indian and African

But it’s not that simple…

Wait, What?

ODM! (Oh, Dios Mio)

¡Viva la Revolucíon!• Four key external events

1. American Revolution2. French Revolution3. Haitian Revolution4. French conquest of Spain

• Internal Problemso Creole grievances

• Glass ceiling• Resent new taxes, trade restrictions, and reforms• Liberal but not radical

Multiple Rebellions• Mexico, 1821

• United Provinces of Central America, 1823-1839

• Spanish South Americao Gran Columbia, 1819-1830o Peruo Rio de la Plata

• Attempts at monarchy fail; all become republics

• Cuba and Puerto Rico remain loyal

Mexico• Father Miguel de Hidalgo allies with mestizos

• Creoles distrust mestizos; fear social revolution

• Augustíne Iturbide, military leader, emperor 1821

• 1824 Republic

United Provinces of Central America

• Originally part of Mexico

• Brief union; split into parts 1838

Gran Columbia• Simon Bolivar

• Breaks up into Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador

Rio de la Plata

• José de San Martín

• Resent trade restrictions

• Buenos Aires (Argentina)

• Paraguay, Uruguay, Upper Peru (Bolivia)

Peru

• Older and more conservative

• Royalists defeated in 1824

Brazil• Conservative:

o “Men established in goods and property were unwilling to risk political change.

o Hosted Portuguese royal family during Napoleonic wars

• Equal status to Portugal until Napoleon defeated

• Dom Pedro I becomes constitutional emperor, 1822o King’s sono Existing social order and slavery preservedo Contrast with Spanish republics

Old and New Problems• Power of Roman Catholic Church

• Slavery

• Treatment of Indians and mestizos

• Limited franchise

• Social status of women

• Regional fragmentation (18 new countries)

Politics• Local strongmen, caudillos

• Conservatives (centralists) v. Liberals (federalists)

• Longstanding instability

• Ruling class distrust of the peasantry

Economies• Free trade supported by Britain and the United States

o Source of raw materialso Market for manufactured goodso Monroe Doctrine

• Wealth and prestige tied to land ownership

• Consequences of political instabilityo Lack of investment capitalo Disruption to mining industryo Underdeveloped infratructure

• Economic growth in late 19th centuryo Britain, Germany, United States lead demand for raw materialso But export economy places much industry under foreign control

Focus on Mexico• Federalist constitution, 1824

• Liberal reform issues: Issue of land distribution , poverty, lack of education

• Conservative reaction: Antonio López de Santa Anna o Undoes liberal reforms of 1830so Loses Texas and U.S. Mexican War

• Benito Juárezo Indian lawyero New constitution, 1857

• Limits Church power• Land reforms hijacked by speculators

o Liberal reforms lead to conservative reaction (ebb and flow)—French interventiono Defeats Maximilian von Habsburgo Becomes autocratic leader—Mexico’s pattern for most of 20th Century

• Porfirio Díaz, 1876o Strong central government that suppressed oppositiono Corrupt elections alienates middle class Civil war, 1910-1920

Focus on Argentina• Two economies

o Commerce in Buenos Aireso Ranching and agriculture in the Pampas

• Conflict between strong central government and local autonomy; regionalismo Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia separate

• Juan Manuel de Rosaso Populist authoritariano Overthrown by liberals and regional caudillos, 1852

• Ultimate political stability and reforms between 1862 and 1890o Leads to foreign investmento Population triples; immigration from Europeo Sound infrastructure

• Unlike Mexico, ruling oligarchy allies with middle class

• Like Mexico, suppress labor and rural unrest.

Social and Cultural Issues

• Dilemma: European or American?o Elite more Europeano Common folk not so much

• 1830s: Romanticism appeals to Indians and local customs

• 1870s: Positivism influences art, literature, social outlook

• Patriarchal patterns for womeno Change and new opportunities emerge slowly

• Slaves and Indians see little progresso White, Creole elite still in charge

Brazilian Empire• Similar pattern of central power v. regional strength

• Stability after 1850 leads to increased prosperityo Urban, middle-class groups emergeo Slavery less important

• Slavery abolished, 1888.

• Influence of positivism

• Monarchy replaced with Republic, 1889

• Like Spanish Latin America, many social and political issues unresolved

American Intervention• Spanish-American War, 1898

o Push Spanish out of last strongholds

• Panama Canalo Bully Columbia

• Banana Republics

Summation• Social, political, and economic issues remain

despite political independence

• Dependent economies and underdevelopment

• Limited attempts to emulate the West

• Spanish bully replaced with Uncle Sam