Latin American History: Pre-Columbian to Modern

Pre-Columbian civilizations, colonization, independence and modern Latin America.

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Cards

1. 1What does 'Latin America' refer to?
   Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in the New World, term originated in the 1830s through Michel Chevalier
2. 2What indigenous civilizations existed before Europeans?
   The Olmec, Maya, Muisca, Aztecs, and Inca, among others
3. 3When did Europeans arrive in the Americas?
   Late 15th and early 16th centuries, beginning with Christopher Columbus in 1492
4. 4Who were the main colonizers?
   Spain and Portugal established colonies and imposed Roman Catholicism and their languages
5. 5What was the Columbian exchange?
   Exchange of diseases, goods, and cultures between Old and New Worlds; diseases like smallpox decimated indigenous populations
6. 6What role did Bartolomé de las Casas play?
   Dominican friar who documented Spanish atrocities in 'A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies'
7. 7What was the encomienda system?
   Spanish labor system that granted colonists control over indigenous workers
8. 8What was the impact of colonization on indigenous populations?
   Massive population decline through disease, forced labor, and violence; destruction of native cultures and codices
9. 9What happened to Maya Codices?
   Spanish burned most; only four codices known to exist today: Dresden, Paris, Madrid, and HI Codex
10. 10How did Spain control immigration to the New World?
    Through the House of Trade in Seville, requiring proof of Christian faith and vetting backgrounds
11. 11When did most of Latin America achieve independence?
    Early 19th century by 1825, inspired by American and French Revolutions
12. 12Which countries gained independence first?
    Colombia in 1810, followed by others; Brazil became independent as monarchy in 1822
13. 13What was Gran Colombia?
    Failed attempt to keep together a large state after independence, eventually fragmenting
14. 14What was the Federal Republic of Central America?
    Another failed large state that broke up into smaller countries after independence
15. 15How did Brazil differ from Spanish America?
    Remained a united monarchy under Portuguese rule, avoiding civil wars that plagued Spanish America
16. 16What were caudillos?
    Military chiefs whose power depended on military skill and patronage, emerged due to political instability
17. 17What was the Paraguayan War?
    1864-70 War of the Triple Alliance; Paraguay utterly defeated, suffering demographic collapse
18. 18What was the War of the Pacific?
    1879-84 war where Chile defeated Bolivia and Peru, gaining control of saltpeter-rich areas; Bolivia became landlocked
19. 19What happened in the Mexican-American War?
    1846-48; Mexico lost over half its territory to the United States
20. 20What was the Second French intervention in Mexico?
    1860s attempt by France to indirectly control Mexico
21. 21What was the Big Stick Doctrine?
    Theodore Roosevelt's policy modifying Monroe Doctrine to justify US intervention in Latin America
22. 22What were the Banana Wars?
    Early 20th century US military incursions into Central America and Caribbean to defend commercial interests
23. 23When did the Mexican Revolution begin?
    1910, sparked by Francisco I. Madero's challenge to Porfirio Díaz's long rule
24. 24Who were key Mexican revolutionary leaders?
    Pancho Villa in the north, Emiliano Zapata in the south, and Madero in Mexico City
25. 25What was the Mexican Constitution of 1917?
    Current Mexican constitution proclaimed during revolution, initially little enforced
26. 26What was import substitution industrialization?
    Economic policy adopted after Great Depression to create self-sufficient economies with own industrial sectors
27. 27What was the Good Neighbor policy?
    Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1930s-40s policy allowing some nationalization and reducing intervention
28. 28Who was Lázaro Cárdenas?
    Mexican president who nationalized American oil companies, created Pemex, and redistributed land
29. 29What was Pemex?
    Mexican state oil company created from nationalized American oil companies
30. 30When did the Cuban Revolution succeed?
    January 1, 1959, led by Fidel Castro overthrowing Fulgencio Batista

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