América Latina

p. 337

Why America Latina

• Though many Latin American nations gained independence from Spain in the 1820s, they soon became dominated by the United States and Great Britain– Economically– Politically

• This situation has changed somewhat today, as the US has been losing influence to China in Latin America.

Regionalism:

• loyalty of a person to their part of a nation, not the entire nation.

• very difficult to get Latinos to unite and cooperate with each other.

• The Imperialists took advantage of this weakness.

Caudillo:• a Latino warlord or dictator. • They used private armies

– resisted the central government. • Some took control of the national government,

– stealing money – abusing their powers.

• Since caudillos took control illegally, – often challenged by others,

• power struggles • civil wars.

Benito Juarez:

• Mestizo lawyer and reformer

• rose to power democratically,

• began…..

La Reforma:• Juarez and his reformer allies worked

to end oppression of the lower classes:

• Revised the Mexican Constitution to make it fair for all– Reduced the power of the military– Ended the privileges of the Church

• Church lands confiscated to be sold to the peasants.

Peonage:• Peasants on haciendas often borrowed money from their

“patron” (land owner) in order to farm and live. – “encomienda” land system,

• Peasants could not leave the hacienda as long as they owed money. – They usually were not paid enough to pay off the debt so they

were basically enslaved. – Their children inherited the debt and were doomed to the same

fate. • Medicine was poor for their children and many died

young– The rest had severe health problems

• No education was provided, so peon children could not change their lives.

United States’ supremacy over the Americas.

• Monroe Doctrine: • 1823. President James Monroe declares

– that any country trying to take control of any free Latin American nation will be stopped by the United States.

• Britain supported the US policy and they both “protected” the weak Latin American nations from other European interference.

Panama Canal:

• Built by US from 1904 to 1914.

• It improved trade and shipping times and increased business profits.

Standards Check, p. 338

• Question:

• Inequalities remained

• Limited voting rights

• Racial prejudice

• Small number of people owned most of the land

• Regionalism hurt national unity

Image, p. 339

• Question:

• They are heroically determined to defend themselves.– Helping each other– Only a few of them on the wall.

Image, p. 339• A small force of some 250 Texan rebels held the old Spanish mission/fort of San

Antonio Bexar. People called it, “El Alamo”.• Their purpose was to hold the approaching Mexican Army, giving time for a larger

Texas rebel army to form up and train for war.

• (In this video, Santa Anna besieged the Texians (Anglos) and Tejanos (Mexican rebels) for 13 days while his army came up from Mexico.

– Every day, at sundown, his band played the “Deguello” or “throat cutting”, enforcing the idea that since the Texans would not surrender, no prisoners would be taken when the Alamo fell.

– The Texans’ morale is falling as Santa Anna’s army is getting bigger and the band incessantly reminds them of their impending slaughter.

– Davy Crockett, single-handedly answers with his violin, defying, gracefully, Santa Anna’s will and raising his compatriots’ morale.

• In ensuing attacks, the Mexicans were repulsed by courageous Texan defense, but the Mexicans had some 5000 troops and could afford the losses.

– The Texans could not replace their losses.

• On the final day, Mexican troops attacked from all sides, under the darkness of morning. The defeat was swift and merciless, as promised.

Standards Check, p. 339

• Question

• Defeated by the United States

• Lost land to the United States

• Faced social and economic inequalities

• Civil war

• Harsh rule by Porfirio Diaz

Map Skills, p. 340

• 2

• It is located right next to Latin America

• 3

• Bananas and fish

Standards Check, p. 341

Benefit of foreign investment

• Helped Latin American economies develop somewhat

Abuse/problem of foreign investment

• Development benefitted foreign investors and a small number of Latino elites

Analyzing Political Cartoons, p. 341

• 1.

• Eastern and Western Hemispheres

• 2

• They don’t want the United States to interfere so much in the world

Thinking Critically, p. 342

• 1

• To shorten the shipping distance between the eastern to western parts of the Americas.

• 2

• To protect the work force from the effects of disease

Standards Check, p. 343

• Question:

• The United States interfered politically in Latin America

• To protect its interests

• To gain control of resources or key locations

• to take advantage of Latino weakness

End hwk

• Begin classwork