Conserving Costa Rica:

History

Stephanie Gaudette

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Pre-Columbian Period• There is evidence that Costa Rica was settled for thousands

of years before it was discovered by Columbus.• Costa Rica was comprised of many distinct cultures. Most

were semi-nomadic hunters and fisherman. Each culture was divided into chiefdoms. There was a rigid political hierarchy within the chiefdom.• Chiefdom Hierarchy:

• Chief- had virtually unlimited power• Religious and Military- considered nobility

• Included a Shaman who communicated with the supernatural world

• Common workers• Slaves

• War during this time was used for territory expansion, defense and acquisition of slaves

Pre-Columbian Period• Not much is known about the religious views of the culture at

this time except that they believed that people, animals and objects all had spirits, which were good or evil.

• Most well-known about this period is the advanced artwork.• Gold and Jade working• Pottery• Metal working• Famous for the perfectly spherical granite bolas

• Found especially near the west coast• Range from the size of a baseball to a Volkswagen bus

Spanish Colonization• 1502- Christopher Columbus was the first European to come to

the area on his last voyage to the New World• At this time there were 4 major tribes:

• Caribs• Borucas• Chibchas• Diquis

• 1522- Spanish began to settle in Costa Rica• Settlement here was very different from the other Spanish

colonies because the gold and valuable minerals they originally looked for seemed to be an illusion

• Colony became focused on agriculture• Most natives either fled the area or died from smallpox

leaving colonists bring African slaves or work themselves

Spanish Colonization• 1559- Span decided to conquer Costa Rica• Juan Vasquez de Coronado was the true conqueror of the land• 1562- first city, Cartago, was established• Become an autonomous and individualistic agrarian society

• Main products were wheat and tobacco and later cacao and cattle

Independence from Spain• Joined Mexico and other Central American provinces in 1821 in a

declaration of independence from Spain• Border disputes broke out among the newly independent

provinces• Costa Rica’s northern Guanacaste Province annexed from

Nicaragua• 1824- faction of Costa Rica became a part of Mexico• 1838- Costa Rica formally withdrew from the Central

American Federation and proclaimed itself sovereign• First Head of State: Juan Mora Fernandez

• Best remembered for land reforms• Inadvertently created an elite class of coffee barons

• Barons later overthrew nation’s first president Jose Maria Castro

CastroFernandez

Independence from Spain• Military rule was a part of Costa Rican culture from time to time

but never brought about with violent extremism like in many other parts of Central America.

• 1870- General Tomas Guardia seized control of government• Most progressive reforms:

• Education• military policy• taxation

• Overall Costa Rica’s colonial institutions were relatively weak and early modernization of the economy propelled the nation out of poverty

• Costa Rica turned to reform instead of repression like many of their neighbors

Costa Rican Civil War• Costa Rican civil war began in 1948• Incumbent Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon and the United Social

Christian Party refused to give up power after losing presidential election.

• Jose Maria (Don Pepe) Figueres Ferrer defeated Calderon in about a month• Become one of Costa Rica’s most influential leaders

• Extremely popular with the majority of citizens• Head of the Founding Junta of the Second Republic • of Costa Rica• Vast reforms in policy and civil rights

• Women and blacks gained the vote• Communist party was banned• Banks were nationalized• Presidential term limits were established

• Created a political legacy that founded Costa Rica’s liberal democratic values

Nicaraguan Civil War• Sandanistas and Contras set up military bases in the northern

area of Costa Rica• President of Costa Rica was elected with the promise to put an

end to the war• Convinced all five Central American presidents to sign his

peace plan• 1987 Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez received

Nobel Peace Prize for this work ending the Nicaraguan civil war

People of Costa Rica Today• Only 1% of the population today are descendants of native

Costa Ricans, “Ticos”• Homogenous racially and culturally• Literacy rate is 96%

• Caught between old cultural forces and new ones

Traditions• Traditions shaped by “machismo” system (male-dominated)

• Men and women are expected to act differently from each other and respect these roles

• Family traditions:• Baptisms, First communions, Engagement parties, Weddings,

Funerals• Most children live at home until they are married

• Religious celebrations• Easter Week- Semana Santa

• Time to relax and party• All businesses close from Thursday to Monday

• Christmas Week• All businesses close from Thursday to Monday• Religious celebrations held both at church and home

• August 2nd- celebration of the Virgin of the Angels• Pilgrimage to the Basilica de los Angeles in Cartago city• Walk from all parts of the country to pay a “promise” to the

Virgin, if she has answered a prayer, or to renew their faith• Hospitality most widespread tradition in country

• Very welcoming to visitors

Standards Addressed• Connecticut Social Studies Curriculum Framework

• 1.3.5: Explain how a civilization/nation’s arts, architecture, music and literature reflect its culture and history.

• 1.3.6: Analyze how specific individuals and their ideas and beliefs influenced world history.

• 1.3.7: Compare and contrast cultural contributions of a variety of past and present civilizations.

• 1.3.8: Identify examples where cultural differences have contributed to conflict among civilizations or nations.

• 1.8.18: Analyze and critique examples where governments in other nations have changed through violent or peaceful means.

Pictures ReferencedBolas on Slide 3:http://www.tayutic.com/en/photo_gallery.html

De Coronado on Slide 5:http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/coronado.htm

Fernandez and Castro on Slide 6:http://www.asamblea.go.cr/Centro_de_informacion/Sala_Audiovisual/Expresindentes%20de%20Costa%20Rica/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Castro_Madriz

Ferrer on Slide 8:http://www.skyscraperlife.com/costa-rica/30480-feliz-61-aniversario-de-la-abolicion-del-ejercito-6.html

Arias on Slide 9:http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1987/arias-bio.html

Horses on Slide 10:http://www.infocostarica.com/culture/traditions.html

ReferencesCentralAmerica.com Corp. (2008) Introduction to costa rica; History. Retrieved on July 28, 2011 from http://centralamerica.com/cr/moon/mohistory.htm Connecticut State Department of Education. (2009). Connecticut social studies curriculum framework grades PK-12. Retrieved on

July 28, 2011 from http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/socialstudies/ssfrmwk_10-6-09.pdf

Infocostarica Staff (2007). Articles on costa rica history. Retrieved on July 28, 2011 from http://www.infocostarica.com/history/

InterKnowledge Corp. (2006) Costa rica: History and culture. Retrieved on July 28, 2011 from http://www.geographia.com/costa-rica/history.htm

The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. (February 10, 2011) Background note: Costa rica. Retrieved on July 28, 2011 from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2019.htm#history

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