THE CHRONOLOGY OF LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY 1450 – 1750
1695
Gold discovered in Brazil leads to internal settlement of frontier by prospectors
1700
Caribbean islands are main source of sugar; main customer for African slaves
1700
Indian population falls to five million; cattle, sheep outnumber Indians in most areas
1702 – 1713
War of Spanish Succession: English obtain right to supply slaves, trade in region
1728
Spanish crown supports economic development of industry, imports, commerce
1759 – 1788
New Spanish monarch institutes economic, political, military reforms in colonies
1778
Spain, Portugal formally delineate boundaries between their colonies, empires
18th Century
French, English control Caribbean; majority of world’s sugar comes from region
18th Century
American crops had spread world wide and influence population growth
1792
Slave rebellion in Haiti abolishes slavery, led to free black state
1800
30,000 peninsulares; 3.5 million creoles; 10 million Indians, blacks, mestizos, mullatos
1808
Spanish American wars of independence begin with rebellions in Mexico, Venezuela
1819
Regional liberals seek secular state, free trade, immigration; clash with conservatives
1822
Brazil independent of Portugal as an empire; population predominately African, slave
1823
US issues Monroe Doctrine telling Europeans to stay out of American affairs
1840
Brazilian exports consist of 40% coffee, 80% by 1880; ¼ of population were slaves
1850
Large Italian, Portuguese immigration to Brazil begin to lessen need for slaves
1850
UK accounts for majority of trade, importing raw materials, exporting finished goods
1850
Railroads, steamships, telegraphs open interior of Brazil; railroads in Argentina, Cuba
1850 – 1930
Massive European migration to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay
1850 – 1880
Peru exports of fertilizer dominate world market; uses wealth to reform society
1879 – 1881
War of Pacific gives Chile control of copper, nitrates; makes Chile a regional power
1886, 1888
Cuba, Brazil are last states to abolish slavery begun during wars of independence
1890
Argentine exports grew five times since 1860; beef, hides, wool, grains exported
1890
First socialist party founded in Argentina follows growth of industry, rise of workers
1914
US builds, opens Panama Canal after declaring Panama independent of Colombia
1910
More than 40% industry, wealth owned by US in Mexico, Central America
1914 – 1918
World War I: countries supply oil, beef, minerals to both sides, loses ships to submarines
1914 – 1918
Cut off from suppliers, Latin America experiences import substitution, industrialization
1914 – 1933
30 US military interventions to protect US investments: Central America, Caribbean
1916
US intervenes in Mexico after Pancho Villa raids US banks, kills US citizens
1917
Mexican Constitution is revolutionary: state-owned nationalized industries common
1920s
Growth of industrial, urban work force exerts influence on politics, students radicalize
1920s
US replaces UK as primary source for investment capital: US controls regional exports
1929
$5 billion invested in Latin America, 1/3 of all US investment abroad
1930s
Foreign investment cease, exports collapse as result of Great Depression
1930s
Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico develop of steel, oil to offset loss of exports
1942 – 1945
Mexico, Brazil, Panama, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru join Allies in World War II
1945 – 2000
Industrialization, urbanization transform region; anti-imperialism, social issues critical
1950s – 1970s Central America, Caribbean economies single commodity exporters subject to prices
1961
US Alliance for Progress seeks to help development in Latin America through US aid
1970s
750,000 illegal immigrants to US; 5 million migrants per year in Latin America
1973 – 1989
Global recession hit region hard; huge foreign debts, prices of exports fall dramatically
1980s
½ population in Latin America live in cities, 25 cities are larger than 1 million
1980s – 1990s Declining economic opportunities, rise of squatter settlements, environmental destruction
1994
Free trade associations established: NAFTA, MERCOSUR
2000
Latin America continues search for economic growth, social justice, political stability