Latin America Early Civs, European Exploration, Colonial Life and Revolutions

Question 0

San Lorenzo

Answer 0

Oldest site of Olmec civilization

Earthen mounds, courtyards, pyramids, stone monuments

Question 1

Olmec civilization

Answer 1

1200 - 400 BC
Located in southern Mexico- bad spot for civ- hot, swampy, little sunlight or rain
Abundant salt, tar, fine clay, wood, stone for tools and monuments
Flood plains= good soil
Considered the “mother” culture of all Meso- American cultures
Religion- polytheistic/animistic- “jaguar spirit”
Traded with Mexico and Honduras
No written records
Unknown reason for decline

Question 2

Lasting contributions of the Olmec civ

Answer 2

Jaguar religious worship
Pyramid building 
Pottery and sculpture techniques
City design with plazas and pyramids
Ball games
Pictographs
Class structure

Question 3

Zapotec civilization

Answer 3

1000 BC - 700 AD
Located in the mountain valleys of southwest Mexico- hot and dry but fertile
Hieroglyphic writing
Calendar system
Temples and large stone structures at the center- San Jose Magote
Monte Alban- thought to be the first truly Urban center in the Americas

Question 4

Reasons the Andes mountain range region isn’t the best spot for a civ

Answer 4

They are very long, and the s

Question 5

Chavin civ

Answer 5

900 - 200 BC
Located in the northern Peruvian highlands
Known for plazas and pyramids and earthen mounds
Religious ideas, art styles, stone carvings and textiles all spread to other cultures and Civs
The mother culture for later Andean Civs

Question 6

Mayan civ

Answer 6

300 - 900 AD
Located in the forests of Central America around the Yi Catan peninsula
Cleared forests and grew corn on raised beds- had surplus crops for big cities
Used ocean canoes to trade gold and cotton
Hieroglyphics as written language
Accurate calendar
Math- concept of 0
Government- each city ruled by its own king
Religion- believed gods controlled nature (storms and droughts) and performed rituals to please the gods

Question 7

Aztec civ

Answer 7

1200 - 1500ish AD
Developed long after the fall of the Mayas
An empire located on the central plateau around tenochtitlan (today- Mexico City)
Crops grown on large reed rafts called Chinapas
Written language: N’ahuatl
Accurate calendar
Sculptures
Govt: one ruler- emperor
Imperialistic- took over many city states
Human sacrifice to please the Aztec gods
Woman had more rights

Question 8

Incan civ

Answer 8

1200 - 1500s AD
Developed around the same time as the Aztecs
Empire located in fertile valleys of the Andes in western South America
Advanced farming- irrigation, terrace farming, fertilizer, aqueducts
Polytheistic religion
Govt: emperor had all power
Roads connected entire empire
NO written language

Question 9

Nazca civ

Answer 9

200 BC - 600 AD
Located on the southern coast of Peru
Known for irrigation systems- underground canals
Beautiful pottery and textiles
Most known for Nazca lines- enormous drawings of plants and animals to honor gods

Question 10

Moche civ

Answer 10

100 - 700 AD
Located on the Northern Peruvian coast
Known for irrigation

Question 11

First European exploration and imperialism in Latin America

Answer 11

Imperialists from Spain and Portugal 
Powerful landlords
Conquistadors- Columbus, etc
Native Americans 
Mestizos

Question 12

Encomienda system

Answer 12

Large plantations given to conquistadors to use for Native American labor

Question 13

Mestizos

Answer 13

People of mixed European and Native American ancestry

Question 14

Bartholome de las Casas

Answer 14

Former conquistador
Turned priest
Tried to help natives
Spoke with Spanish king to end Native American labor and suggested use of Africans instead

Question 15

New Laws of the Indies

Answer 15

1548
Spanish king outlaws use of native labor on encomiendas which leads to the use of African slaves instead—> Atlantic slave trade

Question 16

African slave trade

Answer 16

Millions of slaves brought to work on plantations
20 million went to the America’s
4 million to brazil
2,500,000 to Spanish colonies

Question 17

Social pyramid of colonial times

Answer 17

Very rigid class system
No social mobility 
Social status determined by birth 
On top are peninsulares
Then Creoles 
Then mestizos
Then native Americans
Then African slaves

Question 18

Peninsulares

Answer 18

Officials born in Spain and sent to rule colonies

Included viceroys and church officials

Question 19

Creoles

Answer 19

American born descendants of Spanish settlers

Same rights as peninsulares, treated like they were below them which lead to resentment

Question 20

The Roman Catholic Church in colonial times

Answer 20

The church was the unifying force in all of Latin America
The church was closely connected with colonial govts
Wanted to spread Christianity and European culture
Controlled education
Forced natives to convert to catholicism and helped to destroy native culture

Question 21

Haciendas

Answer 21

Large self-sufficient plantations
Replaced encomienda system
Basically colonial feudalism

Question 22

Maroon colonies

Answer 22

Villages established by runaway slaves

Question 23

Causes of independence movements and revolutions

Answer 23

Unrest in the colonies
Creoles wanted to rid colonies of Spanish officials and gain power for themselves
European ideas like free speech, democracy, human rights, majority rule, and consent of the governed became popular
The napoleonic wars weakened Spain’s a ailing to control colonies
Europe in disarray

Question 24

First revolution in Latin America- Haiti

Answer 24

Started as a slave revolt against French rulers

Haiti became the First Nation in Latin American to gain independence!!!

Question 25

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Answer 25

Self educated former slave who led Haiti to independence

Captured by French and died in prison

Question 26

Simon Bolivar

Answer 26

AKA “The Liberator”
A creole- had a vision of a democratic, united Latin American but that didn’t last
The Latin American George Washington
Created the republic of Gran Colombia-
Modern day Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador

Question 27

**Jose de San Martin

Answer 27

Led independence movements in Argentina and Chile

Question 28

Miguel Hidealgo and Jose Morelos

Answer 28

Priests who sought independence for Mexico on the early 1800s

Question 29

Mexican independence

Answer 29

Native Americans and Mestizos united with Creoles and Mexico was able to win independence
Led by d’Iturbide

Question 30

Brazil independence

Answer 30

Granted independence by King of Portugal
King of Portugal left his son Pedro to declare independence and Pedro later became the ruler of Brazil
Brazil became of limited monarchy

Question 31

Current Obstacles and problems in Latin American

Answer 31

Geographic barriers made travel, communication and unification difficult
Social and economic divisions
Result: regionalism

Question 32

Regionalism

Answer 32

The division of societies into multiple small groups with their own unique cultures- loyal to their own areas

Question 33

Caudillos

Answer 33

Military leaders or former independence leaders who took over and ruled as dictators when groups of people fought over control

Question 34

The Monroe doctrine

Answer 34

US prez James Monroe warned Europeans to stay out of the affairs of Latin America and to not attempt to re-colonize
Worked fairly well

Question 35

Big brother or big stick policy

Answer 35

US became the international police force of the Western Hemisphere to create stability in the region

Question 36

Three groups of people who emerged as the power elites in most Latin American nations

Answer 36

1. Military
2. Catholic Church
3. Land Owners