History 307 - Latin America – October 3, 2003

 THREE CENTURIES OF EMPIRE

I.  Economics

A.     GEOGRAPHY: vast geographic scale; (3000 miles from Mexico City to Lima); vast Andes; huge “pampas;” enormous Amazon

B.      ECONOMICS:  plantation economy - keyed to exports - using unfree labor (slaves, peons)

·          economy pumps wealth UPWARD and OUTWARD

·          “mercantilism” - colonial economy designed to meet needs of “mother country”

·          the “Enigma” - potentially vast wealth, but chronic poverty (“a rich continent filled with poor people” – Jack Pizzy, South American Journey)

 

II.     Society: 

A.       land-owning elite/ mass of unfree labor

B.       small middle-class; little class mobility; CLASS TENSION

C.       complicated by RACIAL DIVISIONS

·          though racial divisions are far less intense than in North America

·          “limpieza de sangre”

·          “peninsulares” - Europeans born in Europe;  “creoles” - latin americans of European descent

·          “mestizos” (Indian/white); “mulattos” (African/white)

·          “zambos” (African/ Indian); Indians, Africans

·          Indian catastrophe: Mexico, 1519/ 20 mil;  1605: 1 mil;  Peru: 1575, 96% of Indians dead

                               Hispanioloa: 1500, 2-3 mil;  1550, 30,000?

·          enormous regional variations

 

III.  Politics

A.        double domination (1) external control by Spain & Portugal; (2) internal control by plantation elite

B.        few democratic institutions (local self-governance; elections, free speech, free assembly)

C.         yet: potential for democratic self-governance: towns & especially vibrant city life (by 1700, Mexico City has 200,000+ people

 

IV. Culture

A.       Baroque (magic, display, illusion, multiple-realities)

B.       Reconquista - warrior ideal; courage; command/ obedience

C.       social ideal: glory via suffering (not accumulation of property!)

D.      values: authority & obedience; conformity not dissent; hierarchy & privilege, not equality; coercion & power (not debate & persuasion); “Machismo” yet considerable female autonomy

E.       The Church: Two Churches:  (1) links to powerful, yet (2) commitment to poor

F.       The Question of IDENTITY: “who are we?”

1.        Growth of distinctive New World cultures:

·          Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695)

·          Francisco José de Caldas (1771-1816), newspaper: Semanario del Nuevo Reino de Granada

·          José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776-1827), El Periquillo sarniento

2.       Growth of distinctive regional cultures à separate nations within New World

3.       Sense that “we” are have our own distinctive concerns, hopes, aspirations, and CANNOT SIMPLY BE RUN ANY LONGER FROM MADRID & LISBON

 

 

 

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Modified by:  H.  Kamerling