1. Causes & Effects

2. LATIN AMERICAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Peninsulares
0.1% of population
Born in Spain
Creoles
22.8 % of population
Of Spanish ancestry,
but born in Latin America
Mestizos
7.3% of population
People of mixed European & Indian ancestry
Native Americans
55.8% of population
Native people of Latin America prior to colonization
Only group that could hold high office in Spanish colonial government
Spain was able to keep loyalty of these colonial leaders
Controlled wealth & most of the power in Spanish colonies
This is a RIGID SOCIAL STRUCTURE (no moving between classes)
SPANISH
LATIN AMERICAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Could NOT hold high-level political office
Could be officers in the colonial armies
Educated in Spain
Controlled some wealth & some power in Spanish colonies
Mulattos
7.6% of population
People of mixed European & African ancestry
Enslaved Africans
6.4% of population
African born people used as slaves in Latin America
Served an economic value in society (labor)
Were of little economic value to the Spanish
Most severely oppressed group

4. Latin American Revolutions

5. Brief description of the event:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?

6. Brief description of the event:
Who? – Lower class people (mostly creoles) VS. their colonial rulers (Spain, France, Portugal)
What? – a series of uprisings against oppressive European colonial rulers that resulted in gaining independence.
When? – starting in 1791, ending in 1820s
Where? – Latin America (Mexico, the Caribbean, & South America)

7. CAUSES: Enlightenment ideas (questioning society & gov’t)
American Revolution & French Revolution (source of inspiration)
Strong desire for independence (nationalism) – want to control their own land & economy
Mercantilism exploiting Latin America’s resources & economy

8. CAUSES: Napoleonic Wars (his brother became King of Spain)
Inequalities in the rigid Latin American social structure
Creole resentment (they had little power compared to the peninsulares)
Treatment of lower class people

9. EFFECTS:
Many independent nations created & end of European colonization in Latin America
Struggles for power & civil wars break out
Military dictators end up taking control of the new independent nations – caudillos
Many failed democracies

10. EFFECTS: Not much change in social status of the people
Peonage system develops & families are tied to the land
Unequal distribution of land
Increase in poverty
Latin America remained unindustrialized & became reliant on others to trade