Latin America in the 19th Century

1
Latin America in the 19th Century

• Mr. Millhouse
• AP World History
• Hebron High School

2
Focus Question

• What events facilitated independence movements in
  Latin America in the early 19th century?

3
Latin American Independence

• Creoles
• 3.5 million creoles in Latin America by 1800
• Only 30,000 peninsulares
• Resent tight government and economic regulations
• Want to replace peninsulares but retain their
  privileged position
• American Revolution
• Napoleons Invasion of Spain Portugal

4
Latin American Independence

• 1810 Miguel de Hidalgo begins uprising in
  Mexico
• Independence gained by Augustine de Iturbide in
  1821
• 1819 Simon Bolivar (right) gains independence
  for Columbia
• Liberates South America with help from Jose de
  San Martin
• Attempt for a unified northern South America
  fails in 1830
• 1821 Brazil gains independence

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Problems After Independence

• Caudillos
• Juan Manuel de Rosas (Argentina)
• Machiavelli of the pampas
• Kills over 22,000 people
• Latin America had little experience with
  self-government
• Creoles dominate politics
• Only 5 of male population participated in
  politics
• Role of the Catholic Church
• Poor treatment of natives

6
Mexico (1821-1857)

• 1821-1850s marked by political instability
• Went from monarchy to republic to caudillo rule
• Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana (left) dominates
  politics prior to 1850
• Church remains influential
• Owns almost 50 of all productive land in Mexico
• Nationalism grows after Mexican-American War

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Benito Juarez (1861-1872)

• Liberal mestizo
• First Mexican ruler without a military background
• Institutes La Reforma
• Focus on land redistribution to improve the
  condition of natives
• Confiscates church lands
• Speculators and large landowners buy land instead
  of natives
• Most of Mexicos peasants were landless by 1900
• Creates a backlash from Mexican conservatives

8
Porfirio Diaz (1876-1910)

• Industrialized Mexico
• Built railroads
• Improved banking system
• Focused on oil mining
• Depended on foreign investment
• Increasingly autocratic
• Oppressed political opposition

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Economic Problems

• Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• Economic Imperialism?
• Britain replaced Spain as the dominant economic
  force in Latin America
• Economy depended heavily on exports
• Britain dominated until 1860
• Modernization theory vs. Dependency theory

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U.S. Imperialism
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U.S. Intervention in Latin America

• Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
• Spanish-American War
• U.S. gains Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam
• Independence for Cuba
• Roosevelt Corollary
• Panama Canal

Mexican Cession as part of the Treaty of
Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)
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U.S. Imperialism
13
U.S. Imperialism
14
U.S. Imperialism
15
Big Stick foreign policy
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Argentina

• After independence dominated by caudillos
• Politically stabilized after 1862
• Economic growth based on exports
• Primary export is beef
• Dependent on foreign capital
• Large numbers of immigrants from Europe
• 3.5 million from Italy, Germany, Russia, etc.
• Golondrinas

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Latin American Society

• Few changes for women in Latin America
• Remained under the control of their fathers and
  husbands
• Lower class had more economic freedoms
• Gained more access to education
• Racial castes were formally abolished
• Racial and ethnic tensions continued