1. Latin America No fancy subtitles because it would probably come across racist!

2. Geography of Latin America Huge area—covers about 5500 miles from the Rio Grande river in Mexico to Cape Horn at the bottom of South America. 2 separate regions: – 1. Central(Middle America) Includes Mexico, the 7 countries of Central America, and the Caribbean Islands – 2. South America. Includes the 12 independent countries and 2 foreign territories. Brazil covers over ½ of the S. America continent.

3. Major Landforms Much of the area is covered by mountains and highlands. – La Cordillera—almost continuous chain of mountains that run the length of Latin America – The Sierra Madres cover Mexico and the Andes run the entire length of South America. – All of these mountains on the Pacific side lie on along the Ring of Fire— earthquakes and volcanoes are problems.

4. Geography continued 2 major lowlands(areas that aren’t mountains) – 1. The Amazon Basin—covers 40% of South America and contains the world’s largest rain forest. – 2. Pampas region of Argentina—one of the most productive farming regions of the continent. Home to many farmers and ranchers.

5. Major Rivers 3 Major rivers: 1. Amazon 2. Orinoco 3. Rio de la Plata The Amazon is the major water system on the continent: – 2 nd longest river in the world – Runs for over 4,000 miles. Begins in the mountains of Peru and winds its way to the Atlantic Ocean. – Amazon is deep enough to allow ocean freighters 1000 miles inland. – Region is under attack from developers trying to make money from the lumber, minerals, and other resources.

6. Climate Since Latin America stretches so far north/south, it travels through many different climates. – Mexico is tropical in the North. The southern tip of Argentina is only a few hundred miles from Antarctica. Most of the region(3/4) lies in tropical climates. – Supports huge rain forests. The Central region of S. America has a climate similar our climate. Northern Mexico is mostly desert. The west coast of Chile and Peru share the Atacama Desert—one of the driest places on Earth.

7. Elevation and Climate The chief influence on climate is elevation above sea level. South America people use 3 “zones” to describe their climates: – 1. Tierra caliente (hot land)—includes parts of Mexico and the Amazon Basin – 2. Tierra templada (temperate land)—areas above 3,000 feet. Hot days and cool nights. The Central American countries are mostly at this elevation. – 3. Tierra fria (cold land)—above 6,000 feet. Colder climates.

8. Essential Question What are the 3 climate “zones” in Latin America? What is the biggest influence on each of these zones?

9. Natural Resources Region as a whole is loaded with resources but they are not spread out evenly. South America has large deposits of gold, silver, copper, tin, and bauxite. A few countries have oil deposits. Brazil has harnessed the energy of the Amazon and is home to several of the world’s largest hydroelectric plants. Most of the countries’ economies depend on cash crops like bananas, sugar, coffee, tobacco, and rubber.

10. The People of Latin America The history of the region has had great effect on the area. Area was settled thousands of years ago and there are still descendants of these early cultures around. – Population was believed to be 80 million before Columbus arrived. Most of the continent was colonized by Spain and there is a heavy Spanish influence. – Similar to the U.S., South America saw a wave of immigration that brought many different European and Asian nationalities. Slaves were brought in during the Slave trade period. The intermingling of these groups have lead to an ethnic group called mestizos—people of mixed European and native ancestry.

11. Population Patterns The population of Latin America is uneven. The mountains, deserts, and rain forests are not suitable for farming and therefore do not support large settlements. – Only 6% of continent is good for farming. Largest cities are usually found along the coast.

12. Regionalism The mountains and jungles of Central and South America have acted as a barrier to the people of the area. As a result, there are strong local traditions that divide the different countries and even groups within the countries. This is known as REGIONALISM.

13. Essential Question What affect does the geography of Latin America have on the population distribution?

14. Latin America, Part 2 Incas, and Aztecs, and MAYas, Oh My!

15. The First Americans During the last ice age, ocean levels dropped so much that a land bridge connected Siberia(in Russia) to Alaska. – The first Native Americans used this land bridge to migrate from Asia to the Americas some 50,000 years ago. These first groups were hunter/gatherers. About 5,000 years ago, a tribe in Mexico began to farm— grew maize, beans, and squash. As in other parts of the world, the development of farming allowed the formation of villages and the development of civilizations.

16. The Mayas 1 st American empire Reached its peak around 300 AD. – Culture probably existed for close to 2,000 years. Ruled an area from modern day Mexico to Guatemala. Empire had a number of cities with 20,000 people. Achievements included a system of writing, a development of a 365 ¼ day calendar, and huge temples and pyramids that sometimes reached 20 stories(200 feet), and learned to use the number “0”. Also were successful farmers; cleared areas of the rain forest and made their fields elevated so that they would not flood.

17. End of the Mayas Mayan decline began to around 800 AD. Historians are not sure why they declined. Common theories include war, revolution, or disease; by 900 AD most Mayan cities were abandoned and their reign was over.

18. The Aztecs The Aztecs followed the Mayans as the next big civilization in Central America. Set their empire up in the central plateau of Mexico. Their capital was called Tenochtitlan. Present- day Mexico City is located there. – By 1500, the city was the largest in the world with 150,000 residents.

19. Aztecs continued The Aztecs were conquerors—they would attack and conquer the lands around them. They would force the conquered territory to pay tribute. – By 1500, they were collecting tributes from 500 conquered tribes. Aztecs were a pretty- forward thinking society. Education was mandatory for both boys and girls Women had property rights and could re- marry if their husband died.

20. Fall of the Aztecs The Aztecs were polytheistic; one of their gods was named Quetzalcoatl. His legend was that he was once a human who ruled the Aztec lands. Disaster struck and he was banished to the “eastern” sea(the Atlantic). 2 problems—he was light-skinned and bearded and he vowed to return.

21. Hernando Cortes Cortes landed in Mexico in 1519 with 600 men, 16 horses, and 14 cannons. – Brought down the empire in 2 years. 4 factors helped Cortes: – 1. Aztecs believed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl returning and hesitated to fight him. – 2. Cortes gained allies from the people the Aztecs had conquered. – 3. Spanish brought diseases that the Aztecs weren’t immune to – 4. The horses and cannons terrified the Aztecs.

22. Essential Question How did the legend of Quetzalcoatl help Cortes defeat the Aztecs? What other factors helped him?

23. The Incan Empire Greatest South American empire. – Territory eventually encompassed the modern-day countries of Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. At its peak, the empire had 9 million inhabitants. Very efficient government—created roads and a system of message-relaying that enabled the central government to send and receive (and react) important news.

24. Incas continued Incan farming methods were so advanced that scientists today study their methods to improve our own. Were able to build cities that were in the highest elevations in the world—places we don’t build cities today.

25. Fall of the Incas Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro landed in Incan territory in 1532. – Luckily, the empire had been weakened by a civil war. Pizarro tricked the Incan emperor; the emperor agreed to a meeting with Pizarro, brought 100 men with him but no weapons, and the entire time Pizarro had planed an ambush. Pizarro killed the emperor and without a strong leader, the Incas easily fell. Pizarro controlled the empire by 1535

26. Resistance and Survival The invading Spanish destroyed much of the material wealth of the native cultures they took over. – They melted the gold and silver objects to take back to Europe as money. – They burned books and temples, and smashed the sculptures and other stone works. Part of the reason so little is known about the Mays, Incas, and Aztecs is due to the destruction of the conquistadors.

27. Resistance—Tupac Lives! The natives rebelled against their invaders frequently. The combination of better weaponry (rifles, horses, cannons) and diseases were too much to overcome. Some of the rebellions were considered limited successes but not enough to change the status quo with the Spanish at the top. Most famous rebellion was in 1780 led by Tupac Amaru II. Was led by a descendant of the last Inca emperor

28. Survival There are pockets of populations in Central and South America that can still trace their roots to the native empires. Millions of Peruvians, Ecuadorians, and Bolivians still speak the native language of the Incas. In parts of Guatemala and Mexico, Indian groups speak a language with Mayan origins. Tourists provide the biggest support as millions come to these countries each year to walk among the temples, pyramids, and great cities that were left behind.

29. Latin America, Part 3— European Colonization At least it wasn’t the British's fault this time!

30. Columbus By late 1400s, Spain and Portugal were seeking ocean routes to Asia. – Most headed south towards Africa August 3 rd, 1492—Columbus headed west. He expected to reach Asia in a few weeks. On October 12 th, he thought he had landed in the East Indies; he had instead landed in Caribbean.

31. Columbus’s Impact Columbus’s voyage heightened tensions between Spain and Portugal. – Both claimed that they had the right to any lands that they explored. To avoid war, the signed the Treaty of Tordesillas. – Spain had rights to the lands west of the line. – Portugal could claim the east. Under the Treaty, Spain claimed most of the Americas. Hundreds of conquistadors set sail for America hunting for riches. In doing so, they mapped vast areas of the American continents.

32. Magellan 1519 Magellan set out from Spain to find a western passage around South America to Asia. – He left with 5 ships and 268 sailors. They were able to make it around S. America and into the Pacific but at great cost. Magellan was killed fighting locals in the Philippines. In 1521, 18 sailors returned to Spain—the first known to sail around the world.

33. Rest of Europe joins in 1500—Pedro Cabral landed in in Brazil and claimed it for Portugal. French, Dutch, and English explorers tried to find waterways through the Americas to get to Asia. For close to 300 years, the European countries battled each other for supremacy in the Americas.

34. Spanish Rule in America By the mid-1500s, Spain ruled an area that extended from Mexico to Peru. – The king of Spain divided it into 2 kingdoms, each with a viceroy who ruled in place of the king. – One viceroy lived in Mexico City and the other was in Lima, Peru. – In Spain, the king created a Council of the Indies that controlled all aspects of the colonies.

35. Spanish Rule cont.--Mercantilism Like the other European countries, Spain felt that the purpose of the colonies was to enrich the parent country. – Belief was based on mercantilism—economic policy of increasing your gold supply by exporting more than you import. Under mercantilism, the colonies had 2 roles: – 1. supply raw materials – 2. buy the finished products Colonies were not allowed to buy goods from other countries and were therefore dependant on Spain.

36. Spanish Rule page 3 The first materials to go back to Spain were the treasures of the Aztec and Inca empires. The Spanish also forced the Indians to mine gold and silver. This all equaled to a huge amount of wealth for Spain and they were the richest and most powerful nation in Europe in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Spain also set up plantations to support their economy. Usually, a plantation grew a single cash crop. – Sugar from the West Indies. – Coffee and bananas plantations were the most common. – Animal products from Argentina.

37. Latin America, Part 4 Latin America and The Introduction of Slavery

38. The Search for Labor Spain needed a lot of people to work the lands that they owned. The first system of labor set up was the encomienda system: – 1. conquistadors were given land, – 2. allowed to demand taxes or labor – 3. were supposed to pay, look after, and teach the natives Christianity. These conditions were not met and hundreds of thousands of natives died.

39. Bartolome de las Casas Bartolome de las Casas became a crusader against the system. – Wrote a book in which he exposed the cruelty of the system. As a result, Spain outlawed the encomienda system and banned Indian slavery in 1542. 2 problems: – 1. most natives, particularly in the Caribbean had been wiped out. – 2. needed a new labor force

40. Introduction of African Slavery Las Casas gave advice he would later regret; he suggested that Spain begin to use Africans since he felt that they could survive working in the tropical climate. Spain was already using African slaves for their territories off the coast of Africa so when the Americas needed workers, it became a logical step to send Africans across the Atlantic. The Spanish favored Africans because many Africans were farmers by trade and were already resistant to European diseases.

41. The Rationalization of Slavery Slavery was not invented after the discovery of the Americas. The term slave comes from the major ethnic group of Eastern Europe, the Slavs. Eastern Europeans made up the large majority of slaves for centuries. The tide began to change as Europeans began to colonize areas near Africa and the Middle East—it was a lot cheaper to just use Africans and so began the use of Africans

42. Expansion of Slavery The Portuguese were slow to develop Brazil. In the 1530s, the king of Portugal began to encourage settlement. Brazil became a huge sugar, cotton, and coffee producer. These plantations required huge workforces. – As a result, Brazil became a huge slave destination. Nearly 40% of all Africans taken to the Americas went to Brazil When it was ended in 1851, at least 3.5 million slaves were sent to the country.

43. The Columbian Exchange Refers to the links between the Americas, Europe, and Africa in the 15, 16, 17, and 1800s that forever changed the world. The Columbian Exchange refers to the people, goods, and ideas that the clash of these cultures brought about.

44. Impact of the Exchange Foods – 1. Potatoes, corn, squash, chocolate, tomatoes, and peanuts introduced to Europe. – 2. Sweet potato introduced to Africa. – 3. Chili peppers introduced to India. People – 1. European carried their ideas on government, religion, and law around the world. – 2. Africans brought their traditions to the new world and reshaped the cultures of the Americas, particularly the Caribbean. Disease – 1. The Incas showed the Spanish how to treat malaria. – 2. The Spanish brought smallpox, measles, and influenza to the new world. Effect—Estimated 25 million natives in 1519; by 1605, there were a little more than a million.

45. Latin America, part 5 Revolution!

46. The Colonial Class System (and how each level felt about it) Colonial Class system was as followed order from top to bottom): – 1. Peninsulares—officials sent from Spain to rule the colonies. Revolutionary meter—just fine with status quo. – 2. Creoles—Lived comfortably but kept out of top jobs by peninsulares. Revolutionary meter—ready for change. – 3. Mestizos—growing in numbers but not in power. Revolutionary meter—ready for change. – 4. Native Americans—had suffered greatly at hands of Europeans. Revolutionary meter—really ready for change. – 5. Free blacks—no longer slaves but very little political or economic opportunity. Revolutionary meter—really ready for change. – 6. Slaves—Revolutionary meter—really, really, really ready for change. The European Age of Enlightenment, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution had people on both sides of the world feeling that the colonies deserved to choose their futures and not just be colonial property. In the late 1700’s, the first dominoes started to fall.

47. Haiti—1791 The French Revolution helped to spark the Haitian Revolution. Revolution began with white settlers calling for independence; slaves had their own goal— freedom. Slaves began to burn the sugar cane in the fields. Toussaint L’Ouverture became the leader of the rebellion. He was an effective and ruthless general who was able to drive out all foreigners by 1800. In 1802, France sent an army to reclaim the island. They captured Toussiant and he died in a French prison.

48. Haiti continued Toussaint’s death did not end the rebellion. While he was in prison, thousands of French soldiers died in Haiti from yellow fever. The surviving soldiers fled Haiti. In 1804, Haiti declared its independence. Haiti’s success actually frightened many in Spanish America; they wanted their independence but did not want to lose their social status.

49. Events in Europe After the French Revolution, Napoleon came to power in France; he immediately sent the entire continent into years of war. The fighting weakened Spain’s hold on its colonies as their attention turned to defeating Napoleon. When Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815, Spain set out to restore its authority but it was too late.

50. Simón Bolívar Became known as “the Liberator.” Born into a wealthy creole family, Bolívar studied in Europe and vowed to recreate the freedoms he saw in Europe. He returned home to Venezuela in 1807 and joined revolutionary forces. Twice, Bolívar had to flee to Haiti; Haitian leaders gave him ships, guns, money, and a printing press. In return, he promised to end slavery in Venezuela.

51. Bolívar continued In 1819, he and his troops were able to capture the city and defeat the royal army. Bolivar set up the Republic of Gran Colombia as an independent country. The rebels were not strong enough to defeat the royal army. Bolivar came up with a bold plan; he would not attack head on but instead would sail down the coast, cross the Andes, and attack the capital city of Bogota.

52. Bolívar and Jose de San Martin Gran Colombia included 2 areas—Ecuador and Peru—that were not yet free. Bolivar joined forces with Jose de San Martin to free them. Like Bolivar, San Martin was a creole. He was born in Argentina and sent to Spain to serve in the Spanish army. In 1812, he returned home to fight for freedom and by 1816, Argentina had gained its independence.

53. San Martin continued After helping Argentina achieve independence, San martin pledged to liberate Chile. He took his army across the Andes and they defeated the Spanish in 1818. Finally, in 1825, San Martin and Bolivar teamed up and freed Ecuador and Peru. Britain, France, and the Dutch still held their colonies on the northern coast, but the rest of South America was independent.

54. Mexico’s Struggle for Independence Struggle began in 1810 in a small Indian town named Dolores; there a priest, Miguel Hidalgo, challenged them to fight for the freedom. Hidalgo assembled an army of Native Americans and mestizos and they began a rebellion.

55. Mexico continued Initially, they were supported by the creoles of Mexico; however, as the rebellion gained momentum, Hidalgo began to take land from the wealthy and announcing reforms like an end to slavery and the return of land to natives. The frightened creoles who then turned on Hidalgo. Loyalist forces were able to capture Hidalgo and he was killed in 1811.

56. Mexico continued The rebellion found a new leader in Jose Morelos; however, he was captured and killed in 1815. Things did not change until 1820. – Spain re-wrote the Mexican constitution. It did not favor wealthy creoles and they joined the rebels. In 1821, the new rebel army was able to declare its independence.

57. Brazil’s Independence Brazil actually achieved its independence rather easily. In 1807, Napoleon invaded Portugal. The king of Portugal and 15,000 members of his court fled to Brazil in response. It was a great economic boon for Brazil; the king stayed for 14 years. When he left in 1821, he left his son in power. His advice to his son was that if the people demand independence, do it, and make yourself king. In 1822, that is exactly what happened. Brazil remained a monarchy until 1889 when a democratic constitution was written.