Post on 16-Dec-2015
Inca Road Inca Road SystemSystem Over 14,000 miles of
roadConnected mountain
people with lowland population
Paved the roads with stone and created walls so that travelers would not fall of cliffs
Greatly increased trade, communication, and transport
Rest stops were created along the road systems
Inca Social LifeInca Social Life
Inca diet consisted mostly of potatoes, grains, berries, fish, vegetable, maize, nuts
Ate alpaca, guinea pig, and other wild animal meat
Road system aided the success of the farming community
Spanish ConquestSpanish ConquestWeakened Empire
◦Inca was divided by a war between Huascar Capac and Atahualpa Capac over newly dominated territory
◦Smallpox spread from Central America
Pizarro came with few men but thousands of native allies
Pizarro
Spanish ConquestSpanish Conquest
Atahualpa defeated his brother in the civil war and asked to meet with Pizarro
Spanish tried to convince them to accept King Charles I and convert to Christianity
Spanish became impatient and attacked the Inca and took Atahualpa as a hostage◦ Took royal gold and silver and put him to death
Appointed Manco Inca Capac as the emperor and expected him to follow Spanish rule
Spanish Presence in Spanish Presence in AmericasAmericasPrimarily in South (“Latin”)
America and Mexico (which extended quite far north)
Encomienda system of land allocation puts Spanish/European landowning system in New World
Mercantilist economy tied to Spain, made Spain economic superpower in Europe in the 16-17th century
Economic/RevolutionEconomic/RevolutionEconomy derived from Sugar
plantations in Caribbean; new world crops (corn, coffee, chocolate, potatoes)
But more from mineral wealth: Gold, Silver (Potosi), gemstones.
Spanish gov’t implants admin system of viceroys or intendants
All goes along well until the French Revolution and American Rev. late 1700’s
Reasons for anti-SpanishReasons for anti-SpanishSpain also decreases in power
after 1700 as their royal dynasty dies out and the Bourbon dynasty of France is installed.
Significant disgruntlement among indigenous population over forced conversion; unhappiness of local spanish population over ties to Spain and viceroy and social system
•1808 in the midst of Napoleonic wars in Europe, Napoleon invades Portugal•Royal family of Portugal flees to Brazil and locals rebel•Former independence movement in Brazil in Minas Gervais in 1789 led by Tiradentes had failed•Same thing in Spanish countries as Creoles are displaced by Peninsulares (native Europeans); emigration increased after Napoleon puts his brother on the throne.•Spanish revolt against Josef Bonaparte and form Juntas, claiming that they rule in the name of the legitimate king, Ferdinand VII•1810 Creoles in Latin America claim loyalty to Ferdinand and charge their Vice-Roy with disloyalty:
•If the king can’t rule them, they will rule themselves!
•1810 Priest Miguel de Hidalgo leads revolt against local Spanish rule in Mexico •Proclaimed Revolution on September 16, 1810•Originally started as part of a Creole social club, but overthrown; turns to the local population of Indians and marched on Queretaro•Hidalgo’s forced defeated January 1811•He is captured, excommunicated, and sentenced to death. When given a chance to renounce his treason, he does, and thus is seen as a traitor instead of martyr
•1820 General Augustin de Iturbide declares independence from Spain•He is a compromise candidate as Fr. Jose Maria Morales seen as too radical, executed after capture by Iturbide in 1815•Iturbide in 1820 claims Mexican independence with Spanish Monarchy; in 1821 the Mexican congress crowns him as Emperor Augustin I; overthrown in 1823.
•Southern republics of Mexico break away and become Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica•Ultimately will lead to war in 1846 with US, but Mexico is a republic with a president, constitution and congress.
Contrast with Brazil Contrast with Brazil Brazilians developed earlier sense of
Nationalism in conflict between Portuguese and Dutch over commercial interests. Ca. 1654, Brazil expels Dutch in favor of Portugal, but considers themselves on an equal footing with Spanish colonies.
Different social situation than Mexico; more about money than race.
Brazilian IndependenceBrazilian Independence1729 Portugal realizes that Minas
Gerais has been mining diamonds as well as gold, tries to limit # of people, but there’s a huge rush to mine diamonds. Glut.
While racism isn’t in effect as the Creoles in mexico, slavery is a major factor in Portugal; escaped slaves become Quilombos, intermix with local population
Coffee and sugar also major crops (labor intensive)
BrazilBrazil1808 everything falls apart because of
Napoleon as well• Royal family of Portugal flees to Brazil and
locals rebel• Former independence movement in Brazil in
Minas Gervais in 1789 led by Tiradentes had failed.
In the midst of Napoleon’s wars, with King in Portugal, new republic set up.
VenezuelaVenezuela
•Simon Bolivar b. 1793; Creole•Enlightenment influenced, studied in Europe•Claimed loyalty to Ferd. 7th in 1810•Goes to Britain for help•1811 congress declares Venezuela independent •1812 Earthquake