U.s. Latin American Relations

U.S. Latin American Relations

Why did U.S. and the countries of Latin America develop so differently?

By the grace of God, some are less Church fallible and should Need to be in power to best Crown (politics) and maintain control execute God’s will over conquistadors Wealth (economics)  Viceroyalties Race/Identity

King Council of the Indies (Resident in Spain)

Gobierno (Executiv e governm ent) Governor (Chief Executive Officer)

Central Viceroy | (functions as) Justicia (Judiciar y) President of the Audiencia

Militar (Military) Captaingeneral

Hacienda (Treasur y) Superviso r Oficiales Reales (Treasury Officers)

Eclesiásti co (Church governm ent) Vicepatron of Archdioces e Regular Orders Inquisition

By the grace of God, some are less Church fallible and should Need to be in power to best Crown (politics) and maintain control execute God’s will over All economic conquistadors Wealth (economics)activity should  Viceroyalties increase power Race/Identity and prestige of the state: crown maintained absolute control over trade and commerce

Encomienda System: Conquistadors given land and all (Indigenous) people on it as reward for service to King. = New World Feudalism

Neither agriculture nor industry = main focus of Crown

By the grace of God, some are less fallible and should Church be in power to best Need to execute God’s will Crown (politics) and maintain control over All economic conquistadors Wealth (economics) activity should  Viceroyalties increase power and prestige of Race/Identity Creation of “new race” the state: crown =Difference from British maintained colonialism absolute control over trade and Near destruction of Indigenous commerce population  Slaves from Africa + Identity issues between native Spanish peninsulares and

Criollos had wealth but not power Growing resentment of peninsulares Majority mestizo population had neither wealth nor power Growing resentment of peninsulares and criollos Their quest for power would shape Latin American politics from independence to the late 20th century.

Gender Dimension of Colonial Hierarchy Machismo

Brazil

Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494

Conquest of Brazil = less bloody 1. No large urban populations of indigenous 2. Not a lot of gold by

3. Autonomy of landholders (looser control Portuguese crown) Importation of more than 4 million slaves from Africa to work on Brazilian sugar plantations By 1825, half of Brazil’s population was of African descent

European roots of the independence of Latin America Bourbon Reforms: Reorganization of colonies, more peninsulares in power Colonial militias (dominated by criollos) Increase in commerce (threatened criollo feudalism)

Napoleon Bonaparte put his brother Joseph on Spanish throne (1808-1813).

Criollo movement for independence But not as liberal a movement as in North America

Bolivar’s dream of Gran Colombia

Republican Democracy is: “ overperfect and it demands political virtues and talents far superior to our own. For the same reason, I reject a monarchy that is part aristocracy and part democracy, although with such a government England has achieved much fortune and splendor.”

Hidalgo y Costilla led a monarchist movement, but one for equal rights . His Mestizo and Indigenous followers scared the Criollos

When Ferdinand VII was restored to the Spanish throne, some Criollos no longer saw a need for independence. Until he reinstated the liberal constitution.

“Aggressive, insulting and rebellious women” A letter to the Venezuelan rebel army: Armed with a firm character and putting aside the weakness that is attributed to us, we are fully aware of the dangers the country faces. [y] As members of the female sex, sir, we do not fear the horrors of war: the explosion of the cannon will only encourage us: its fire will light our desire for the freedom that we will sustain at any price in honour of the Fatherland. By virtue of this and wishing to enlist in the service to replace the soldiers who have left for San Fernando, we beseech you to bear us in mind and send us wherever is convenient.

When Napoleon invaded Portugal (1807), the royal court fled to Brazil. Attempted Europeanization. Invited back after Napoleon expelled from Portugal. Dom Pedro remains in Brazil as regent = Only lasting independent monarchy in the Americas Brazilian independence = less bloody than in Spanish America. Help from British. Dom Pedro remained as King of independent Brazil.

= A big mess! Colonial Legacy: Economy based on raw materials Decline of trade Little industrialization Lack of long term thinking by plantation elite Fragmentation

Racial/ethnic legacy of independence: Career path for Mestizo Second conquest of Indigenous

Not until late 1800s that political authority became important to Criollos In the mean time: Caudillo System: strongmen and mercenaries 1850s: Strongest of strongmen began to centralize state power.

Conservatives

v

Liberals

Hacienda owners Intellectuals and smalltime capitalists Goals: Agricultural system, Free Trade,Equal rights class privileges less power for Church Liberals mostly won, but had work cut out for them in impoverished countries with chaotic histories. Maintaining ORDER = KEY

Liberal Dicts. Modernization via repression Liberal in terms of modernity, but not equality/liberty Incorporation into capitalist world system as source of raw materials  Maintenance of polarized society

Fundamental Differences Between Anglo and Latin America Place in the world: Latin America: colonies of Spain, a fading power on the international scene from late 17th century that was desperately trying to recapture its glory Anglo American: colonies tied to Britain during its early dynamic phase. England was in a better place technologically, economically and politically

Political differences: Different Attitudes about authoritarianism: church, army, and government Different Attitudes toward centralization and federalism Different reasons for settling: escape vs. getting rich

Economic differences: Haciendas vs. Yeoman farmers Spanish America’s reliance on agriculture and mining Made it more susceptible to the effect of violent fluctuations in world prices Would come to be known as the “Banana Republics.“ Anglo American colonial period during Britain’s relative strength in world market Newly independent Latin America opened themselves up to free trade when not strong enough to compete

North America = protectionist to help local producers Latin American social system =more hierarchical, larger disparities between rich and poor, very small middle class.

Demographic differences: Much larger indigenous population in Latin America  bloodier conquest and repression. Different degree and rate of urbanization.

Size and timing: United States = largely consolidated before it expanded Latin America never really consolidated  greater degree of nationalism and factionalization