The History of Latin America

The History of Latin America — page 3 — INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION N ative peoples had lived in the Americas for thousands of years by the time the first European explorers set foot on their land Although the Italian-born explorer Christopher Columbus was not the first European to reach the Americas Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visit ed North America five centuries earlier the arrival of his ships in the West Indies in 1492 is an important milestone since it marked the beginning of the colonial era in Latin America Columbus whose voyages were sponsored by the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella I reached the South American mainland by 1498 Within decades the Spaniards would locate and occupy the areas of great est indigenous population and resources in Latin America Other European powers soon followed But if these lands represented a new world for Euro peans they were a very old world for the native peo ples Columbus and his successors encountered These peoples included the Maya of the Yucatán Peninsula the Aztec of Mexico the Inca of Peru and This map illustrates the four journeys undertaken by Christopher Columbus and his crew across the Atlantic Ocean between 1492 and 1504 4

The History of Latin America — page 4 — INTRODUCTION This illustration shows the traditional cultural areas that existed in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans 5

The History of Latin America — page 5 — THE HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA many others Their ancestors had arrived in Latin America some twelve thousand years earlier Over the centuries complex cultures had developed in the region Large cities long-distance trade networks and sophisticated political unions arose as did wonders of art architecture and astronomical knowledge The temple-topped pyramids of the Maya and the stepped terraces and magnificent stone dwellings of the Inca for example attest to the tremendous achievement of these highly skilled peoples Tragically under the effects of the European explor ers and colonists these native cultures suffered nearly total annihilation Europeans enslaved large numbers of native peoples and accidentally introduced diseases to the Americas that decimated the indigenous population Eventually Spain ruled Mexico Central America much of South America and parts of the West Indies Portugal ruled Brazil France claimed what is now French Guiana and several islands in the Caribbean Many Europeans settled in these areas They brought their languages their Roman Catholic religion and their culture to the region Europeans also brought in many Africans as slaves It was not until the 1800s that most of Latin America gained independence from Europe Spain’s holdings in the region were largely lost between about 1810 and 1825 through a series of revolutionary movements An outstanding Latin leader emerged during this period the rebel general Simón Bolívar who became known as El Libertador The Liberator for freeing numerous areas from Spanish rule Only the islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba remained as Spanish colonies and these were lost in the Spanish-American War in 1898 Many of the new countries in Latin America set up governments based on the 6

The History of Latin America — page 6 — INTRODUCTION democratic pattern of the United States and France Since that time however military leaders have often seized power creating dictator ships in the region In the early This painting depicts Simón Bolívar leading his army at the Battle of Junin on August 5 1824 during the Peruvian War of Independence twenty-first century political instability still plagues some Latin American countries and eco nomic and social challenges remain But increasingly Latin America has assumed a more promi nent role on the world stage All eyes were on Brazil when it hosted the 2014 World Cup soccer championship and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games In 2013 a humble priest from Argentina became Pope Francis I the first Latin Amer ican to head the Roman Catholic Church And in 2016 the president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the decades-long civil war in that country Latin America continues to evolve and to fascinate Its rich and dramatic history is presented in this volume which provides a compelling look at the factors and events that have shaped this vibrant ever-changing region 7

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