I. Central and South America: 1530-1770
Columbian Exchange: 1530-1770 -Exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus’s voyages. Old World diseases: Smallpox (deadliest of the early epidemics), measles, diphtheria, typhus, influenza, malaria, yellow fever, pulmonary plague Result: Major decline of the native populations in Spanish and Portuguese colonies
Syphilis – spread from Americas to Europeans
British Empire also had similar patterns of spread of diseases, but during this time, the British did not use disease as a tool of building an empire
Plants and Animals: European, Asian, African food crops came to the Americas American crops that traveled to the Old World = maize, beans, potatoes, manioc, tobacco Result: led to rapid growth in world population after 1700 Europeans introduced cattle, pigs, horses, sheep Horses had the most major impact on the Amerindians Affected environment and cultures of native populations
Old World livestock destroyed Amerindian crops and farms Other Amerindians benefited from cattle, sheep, horses
Spanish America: Spanish wanted direct control over American colonies -Council of the Indies Difficulties of communication between New World and Old World Result: Viceroys of New Spain and Peru – substantial power
Portuguese also appointed Viceroy in Brazil (1720) Reasons: neglect and mismanagement
Spanish and Portuguese developed high level government institutions -Costly -Hurt local economies and local governments
Catholic Church had huge role in transferring European language, culture, and Christianity Many Amerindians were converted Some secretly held on to native beliefs
Catholic Church tried to help Amerindians from European abuses Example: Priest Bartolome de Las Casas – denounces Spanish policy and forced legal reforms (New Laws of 1542) -Church was richest organization in Spanish colonies Many Amerindians blended Christian beliefs with native beliefs Result: Church founded universities and secondary schools in towns and cities -Major role in intellectual and cultural life of colonies
Colonial Economies:
Latin American colonies: silver mines of Peru and Mexico sugar plantations of Brazil
Dependence on mineral and agricultural exports
Spanish colonies: silver mines in Bolivia and Peru until 1680, then silver mines in Mexico --Large labor force needed and environmental effects = deforestation and mercury poisoning
Spanish agricultural economy – up to 1540s Spanish – forced labor ‘encomienda’ – Amerindian labor when development of silver mines – new labor Mexico – free-wage labor Peru – mita (1/7 of adult male Amerindians – forced labor – less than subsistence wage – 2-4 months/year Mita undermined traditional agricultural economy Weakened Amerindian village life Promoted assimilation of Amerindians into Spanish colonial society
Portuguese: African slave labor on sugar plantations in Atlantic islands, then similar system in Brazil
First used Amerindians in Brazil and then used the more experienced and disease- resistant African-American slaves
Sugar and slaves in American colonies – huge role in world trade
Spanish and Portuguese – tried to control trade in American colonies – monopolies and convoy systems - collection of taxes – restricted European flow of goods in colonies -Established illegal commercial activities with English, French, and Dutch Result: slowed flow of goods and kept prices high
Spanish America – elite – small number of Spanish immigrants and large number of creoles (American-born descendants)
Immigrants – highest levels of government, church, business positions Reason: economic crisis in Spain led to rulers selling appointments Creoles – agricultural and mining
Colonial rule - cultural diversity of Amerindian and class differentiation eroded
African descendents – major role in Spanish colonies
Slaves and free blacks from Iberian Peninsula – helped conquest and settlement of Spanish America Later: direct slave trade with Africa – Increase in blacks and lower status of legal status of blacks
Originally people from Africa – retained cultural identity. Later – assimilation with European and American cultures
Slave rebellions always brought under control Sometimes run-away slaves formed groups and protected themselves
Most slaves – agricultural labor: harsh discipline and punishment Much more males than females Result: family life was not preserved or adopted from Africa or Europe
Brazil – Portuguese immigrants – politics and economy By early 17th Century – African and American born-descendents – slaves and free -largest ethnic group
Many people with mixed cultures -European-Amerindian decent – ‘mestizos’ -European-African decent – ‘mulattos’
-African-Amerindian decent – ‘castas’ -dominated small-scale retailing and construction = cities -small ranches and farms = rural -wage laborers Some gained wealth and status Adopted Spanish and Portuguese culture