History 307 – Latin American History – September 3, 2003

 

Spain & Portugal before the Conquest

 

I.                     Review: Understanding Latin America

A.     Centrality of conquest/ colonization

B.      Paradoxes:  rich/poor;  shared culture/ huge diversity

C.      “Isms” to watch for: Imperialism (domination by outside forces); 

                                         Liberalism (respect for individual rights)

                                         Nationalism (shared collective identity)

 

II.                   America before the Europeans – before Columbus, there were immense, ancient, & complex indigenous cultures

A.     Aztec Society

1.  Warfare

2.  Halls of Montezuma

3.  Industry & Commerce

B.      Mayan Society

1.  Industry & Commerce

2.  Social Order

3.  Religious Life

C.      Inca Society

1.  How the Inca formed a Nation

2.  Inca Villages

3.  Two Views of the Inca Empire

D.      “Less-developed” Native societies

1.  War & Cannibalism

E.       Key Conclusions:  Pre-Columbian Societies

 

 

 

III.                 The Hispanic Background: Spain & Portugal have distinct cultures too

A.     Spain & “El Cid”

B.      The “Catholic” Sovereigns

C.      The Inquisition

D.      Spanish Character

 

IV.                Comparison & Contrast

	Politics	Economics	Society	Culture
Pre-Columbian America
Spain & Portugal

V.                  1492: Collision

 

 

 

 

 

1.        Keen provides us with a very brief portrait of Spanish and Portuguese life around 1500, on the eve of the Conquest. Make a list:  what 4-5 qualities do you think characterized Spanish and Portuguese life?

 

2.       “Feudal” is a crucial word in this context. No one is entirely sure where the word comes from; probably it was originally a Germanic word, carried over into Latin, which originally meant something like “warfare” (and is related to the English word, “feud”).   “Feudal” refers specifically to the way Europe was organized for most of the Middle Ages, from roughly 500 – 1500.  Here are some very general “feudal” qualities, compared to “modern” qualities:

 

FEUDAL	MODERN
Rural Agricultural Low-tech Little-no government Rule-by-warlords Warlord/Peasant society Key figure: warrior Key institution: vast estate, owned by warlord-landlord, worked by army of peasantry Static Religion/Folk-magic   TRADITION	Urban Industrial High-tech Elaborate formal governments Rule by law Complex, highly diverse society Key figure: Business-person Key institution: business firm; rising, falling, changing;   Dynamic Secular; division between “religion” and “daily life” PROGRESS

 

Now: look carefully at Spain and Portugal around 1500.  In what specific ways can they be described as “feudal”?

 

3.       The “Cid” is one of Spain’s great heroes.  What does that tell us (in part) about Spanish values?  Note that the word “Cid” comes from the Arabic, “sidi,” which means “Leader.”  What does that tell us about medieval Spain?

 

4.       What were Ferdinand and Isabella like?  What role did the Church play in Spain in 1500? How does Guicciardini describe the “Spanish Character”?

 

 

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Modified by:  H.  Kamerling