Latin America, 1450-1750

Chapter 19

Spanish & Portuguese Context

Iberia shaped by frontier experience

Dominated by lawyer bureaucracy & Catholic Church

Introduction to Americas

Treaty of Tordesillas

Unlike others, New World conquered - forming new culture

Conquest: 1492-1570

Caribbean Test Ground

From initial efforts at government & wealth

Spanish legalism Encomienda

To colonial backwater

Brazil

Portugal slow to colonize Brazil

Spanish American mainland

Conquest eased by weapons, disease, & Aztec/Inca political problems

Conquest forged by greed of humble men in search of nobility

Spanish American mainland (cont)

Aztecs & Cortes = New Spain

Incas & Pizarro = Peru

Destruction & Transformation

Disease decimated native societies

Spain exploited indigenous people Adopting customs when useful Using encomienda labor Mixing racially

Debate about nature of natives Bartolome de Las Casas

Colonization: 1570-1700

Brazil

1st great plantation colonySugar labor was difficult - fulfilled by African slavesDependent on Portugal

Brazil integrated w/ Portuguese government Hierarchy based on race

Spanish America

Colonization meant influx of women, priests, & government

Agriculture

Agrarian society increasingly based on mita, wage labor, & land-ownership

Spanish Caribbean

Adopted much of Brazil’s plantation system

Mining

Massive silver mines heart of colonial econ Labor system evolved with colonial

development

Supported gov’t & all other industries

Used fleet system to trade silver to China

State & Church

1 of 2

King

Council of Indies

Viceroy of New Spain

Viceroy of Peru

Provincial court administrators

Local Bureaucrats

State & Church

Church dominated social service functions of gov’t Education & intellectual life Frontiers largely governed by Jesuit

missions

Christianity blended w/ Amerindian & African traditions in Latin America

2 of 2

Society of Racial Castes

Whites: Peninsulares Creoles

Mixed Heritage: Mestizos Mulattos

American Indians:

Africans:

Reform: 1700-1800

Spain & Portugal weakened by debt & war began losing American monopoly Caribbean mirrored Brazil under Dutch &

English

Enlightenment ideas & Iberian decline force change

Brazil & Reforms

Gold rush made Portugal dependent on England

Reforms disrupted Jesuits’ patterns of influence

Diversified Brazil’s economy laying seed of independence

Spanish America & Reforms

Reforms centered on restoring royal control & economic efficiency

Politically disrupted patterns of influence: Jesuits

Creoles

Economically developed new areas

Impact of Reforms

Population growth & activist gov created social unrest

Ethnic divisions undercut revolution

North America

Colonies largely ignored due to low profitability Resulting loose control led to:

Independent assemblies Emerging commerce & manufacturing

Settlers attempt to recreate European society Less impacted by native & African culture

End of Slave Trade Resistance to slavery grew more common

Slaves & maroon societies

Abolition of slave trade motivated by Enlightenment & Christian revival

1807: slave trade abolished

1888: world slavery abolished

Global Connections

Americas emerge as globally significant

Colonies more diverse & complex than seem

Question

What are the similarities and differences between Spanish America and Brazil?