Columbus' Discovery Flashcards
How was Latin America found?
In 1492, Christopher Colombus sailed westward to find an alternative route to the East. That same year, he set foot on an island in the Caribbean Sea. This day is celebrated as Columbus Day.
However, Colombus was convinced that he had arrived at a group of islands called the Indies, located in S E Asia (hence why the natives are called Indians). When Colombus recognised his mistake of the circumference of the earth, called them the West Indies to distinguish them from Asia.
What was the treaty of Tordesilla?
Spain and Portugal agreed to divide the newly discovered lands along a north south meridian in 1494. Spain and Portuguese respected this treaty with one another but other European powers tried to attack still.
What consisted of the Spanish conquest and Colonial rule?
- 300 years from Colombus to independence
- exploration lasted from 1500 to 1550
- colonial rule lasted from 1550 to 1825/1895
- The Spanish had to destroy the Aztec empire in Mexico and the Inca empire in Peru in order to gain total domination.
- The Spanish bought the Castilian language to South America, Spanish cultural values like religion with Catholicism as well as capitalism.
How did the Spanish act when they seized the new continent?
- they claimed territories for the Spanish crown and enslaved all of the native people.
- they depleted anything of value like gold and silver
- spread European diseases to the natives of South America like small pox, influenza, typhus etc)
What was the Black Legend?
It was a style of historical literature at the time that demonised the Spanish people and culture in an intention to damage its reputation. Much of the propaganda was based upon Spain’s disgusting treatment of the natives. Even liberal philosopher Immanuel Kant included Spain in his thesis talking about their lack of reform and their slaw network.
Also referred to the Spanish Inquisition where the Castilian kingdom forced every citizen in Spain’s kingdoms to be orthodox Christian otherwise they would face death.
What was slavery like in Latin American
During the Atlantic slave trade, starting in Portugual in 1490, Latin America was the destination of millions of African people from Africa. Slaves were first imported to help with the military expedition of South America with the Spanish in order to conquer. Then, slaves were used to develop the kingdom. In more northern Latin America, many slaves adopted the manual jobs where they were cowboys, black smiths, servants, plantation workers etc. However, in places like Bolivia, African slaves were imported due to 90% of the indigenous slaves being wiped out from European diseases. However, Spain outlawed slavery in 1820 and this was to roll back through the kingdom.
What was the social hierachy like in the colony?
1) Spaniards of European descent
2) Criollos were the population of Spanish born in the colonies
3) Castas (ethnically mixed population):
Mestizos (white+indigenous)
Mulattos (white+black)
4) Indigenous population
5) African slaves
What did Casta paintings depict?
Casta paintings tended to be very explicit of the social hierarchy in South America, some paintings represented the hierarchy through showing the divide or explicitly making a list of who belonged where.
When did tension start to rise in the empire?
- Centuries of colonial rule, Latin America had distinct culture from the motherlands
- power centre denied criollos full political participation which led to no representative government in the colonies
- Criollo elite became assertive of its own identity and economic power which caused a lot of tension on colonial rule
- then in the 18th century European enlightenment, educated elites started adopted a different form of government.
- then in the late 18th century there were some uprisals against colonial regime.
Quick summary of colonial independence.
1810 the Spanish colonial empire began to disintegrate. Spanish American regions had no unified leadership or clear agenda for independence which led to many years of constant fighting. However, many revolutionists were inspired by the French Revolution that had changed the structure of the time. Additionally, spains presence in s America had declined with a lack of soldiers being sent out to secure the colony. Additionally, there was a new form of thinking, the enlightenment which called for freedom, rational thinking and capitalism for an independent South America. Lastly, due to the Napoleonic war, Spain had lost a lot of political legitimacy from its supporters which affected its rule over land too. For the first time, spin was no longer an ultimate power but was broken in its own country. When Fernando the 7th was reinstated as crown of Spain, he caused much controversy with his leadership which led to colonies rooting for independence.
