Latin America
Latin America After Independence:
Colonial Legacy
• Colonial times, most Latin Americans worked
for large landowners (called peons).
• Peons were similar to slaves because they
went into debt and their debt was passed
from generation to generation.
• After independence, the rich got richer, with
unequal distribution of land and wealth
Political Instability
• Caudillos: dictators that tended to be
charismatic military leaders in Latin America.
• By 1830, nearly all the countries of Latin
America were ruled by caudillos.
• Ex: Juan Vicente Gomez (caudillo in Venezuela
for 30 years) “All Venezuela is my cattle
ranch.”
Economies Grow Under Foreign
Influence
• Great Britain and the United States became
Latin America’s main trading partners.
• Economies depended on Exports
• With refrigeration: exports of beef, fruits,
vegetables and other perishable goods soared
• Imported European and North American
manufactured goods, so did not develop their
own manufacturing industries
Outside Investment and Interference
• Latin America also borrowed money- at high
interest rates- to develop facilities for their
export industries.
• Britain, France, US and Germany made many
loans
• If Latin American countries couldn’t pay back
loans, foreign leaders threatened to collect
debt by force or take over the facilities
• Age of Economic Colonialism
The Monroe Doctrine
• 1823: issued by US President James Monroe
• “the American continents…are henceforth not
to be considered as subjects for future
colonization by any European powers.”
• Wasn’t really enforced until 1898
Cuba Declares Independence
• Cuba was one of Spain’s last colonies in the
Americas
• 1868 Cuba declared independence and fought a
decade long war
• 1895 Jose Marti, was a famous Cuban writer who
lived much of his life in exile in NYC- returned and
led fight for Cuban independence, died in battle
• Spanish had forced many Cubans into
Concentration Camps
Spanish-American War
• 1898: US joins the Cuban war for
independence
• Lasted about 4 months
• 1901: Cuba became independent nation, but
US installed a military govt., causing
resentment
• US also gained Spanish colonies of Puerto
Rico, Guam, and the Philippines: becoming US
territories.
Panama Canal
• US nicknamed “Colossus of the North”
• President Teddy Roosevelt (1901-1909) really
wanted to build a Canal.
• 1903 Panama was a province of Colombia: US
offered $ to Colombia to build a canal, Colombia
asked for more $, US then encouraged a
revolution in Panama.
• 1903 Panama (with help of US Navy) won
independence from Colombia, then gave US a 10
mile wide zone to build the Panama Canal
(opened 1914)
Panama Canal
Teddy Roosevelt and Panama Canal
Roosevelt Corollary
• US continued to have large investments in
many Central and South American countries.
• 1904: Teddy Roosevelt issued the corollary,
saying the United States had a right to be “an
international police power” in the Western
Hemisphere.
• US intervened in many Latin American
countries over the next decades.
The Mexican Revolution
• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna: played leading
role in Mexico’s fight for independence from
Spain in 1821, fought again in 1829 against
Spain, and then became Mexico’s president in
1830.
• Santa Anna was a powerful caudillo who ruled
Mexico from 1833 to 1855 (taking brief hiatus
to fight for Texas)
Santa Anna
Santa Anna’s Leg
The Texas Revolt
• 1820’s Mexico encouraged American citizens
to move to Texas to help populate the country.
• “Anglos” moved there and promised to follow
the laws of Mexico in exchange for
inexpensive land
• Many Anglos wanted to continue to practice
slavery, but Mexican govt. had abolished
slavery
• Also conflict over Roman Catholicism
“Remember the Alamo!”
Leadership of Texas Revolt
• Stephen Austin encouraged a revolt against
Mexico in 1835
• Santa Anna led Mexican forces
• Santa Anna won the Battle of the Alamo, but
lost at the Battle of San Jacinto
• Sam Houston captured and released Santa
Anna when he promised to recognize Texas
independence
War and Fall of Santa Anna
•
•
•
•
1845 US annexed Texas
US invaded Mexico
Fought for two years
1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: US
received the northern 1/3 of Mexico including
CA and the American Southwest
• Santa Anna eventually went into exile
Map: Mexican- American War
Benito Juarez
• Zapotec Indian: rose from humble background
to being educated as a lawyer, and eventually
governor of Oaxaca
• Led a liberal reform movement. La Reforma:
redistribution of land, separation of church
and state, increased educational
opportunities.
• 1853 Santa Anna returned and exiled Juarez,
two years later, SA ousted and Juarez returned
Benito Juarez
French Invade Mexico
• Conservative upper-class Mexicans were
threatened by liberal ideas: conservative
rebels fought against the liberal govt.
• Civil War: liberal govt. won and Juarez took
over as President in 1858
• Mexico was in debt, some conservatives
plotted with some Europeans to reconquer
Mexico.
Maximilian I
• 1862, France under rule of Napoleon III, sent a
large army to Mexico and took over the
country
• Napoleon III appointed Austrian archduke
Maximilian to rule Mexico as an emperor
• Civil War continued: 5th de Mayo
• 1867: France withdrew, Maximilian was
captured and executed
• 1867: Juarez re-elected Mexico’s President
Execution of Maximilian I
Porfirio Diaz and “Order and Progress”
• Mid- 1870’s New Caudillo, Porfirio Diaz
• Diaz was also an Indian from Oaxaca
• 1876: Diaz ousted the President and took control
with the support of the military.
• Elections became meaningless
• Diaz offered land, power, or political favors to his
supporters, terrorized those that did not support
him.
• Remained in power until 1911
Painting Porfirio Diaz
Madero Begins the Revolution
• Francisco Madero: wealthy background,
educated in US and France
• Announced he was running for President in
1911, was arrested and then exiled to US,
where he called for a revolution against Diaz
Francisco “Pancho” Villa
• A popular revolutionary leader in Northern
Mexico
• Took money from rich and gave to the poor
Pancho Villa
Emiliano Zapata
• Leader of a revolutionary army south of
Mexico City.
• Wanted to redistribute land to the poor.
• “Land and Liberty!”
Emiliano Zapata
Mexican Leaders Struggle for Power
• Spring of 1911: Diaz agreed to step down.
• New election: Madero was elected President
in Nov. 1911
• He had a hard time maintaining his power,
resigned and was murdered.
• Military leader, Huerta took over presidency,
but his was unpopular and overthrown by
Villa, Zapata, and Carranza
Mexican Leaders Struggle for Power
• Carranza took power
• He then turned his army against Villa and
Zapata.
• 1919: Carranza lured Zapata into a trap and
murdered him.
• Zapata’s death marked the end of the Mexican
Revolution: More than 1 million Mexicans had
died
New Mexican Constitution
• Carranza’s revised Mexican Constitution
• Promoted education, land reforms, and worker’s
rights.
• 1920: Carranza was overthrown by his former
general Alvaro Obregon
• Obregon: seized power, but didn’t remain a
dictator. Supported constitutional reforms.
• Obregon was assassinated in 1928
• Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) emerged.