The History of Latin America

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

The History of Latin America — page 7 — CHAPTER ONE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF LATIN AMERICA T housands of years ago during the last Ice Age a land bridge known as Beringia connected northeastern Asia to what is now Alaska At least thirteen thousand years ago and perhaps much earlier people from Asia began to cross over These groups of people were the first humans to set foot in the Americas Later when the ice sheets melted the land bridge disappeared under the rising seas and the migration ended Over several centuries people spread throughout North America and eventually traveled down through Central America into South America There they established vari ous cultures and identities We refer to them as Amerindi ans the first indigenous people to live in the Americas They probably reached the southern tip of South America between three thousand and five thousand years ago HUNTER-GATHERERS AND NOMADS At first the Amerindians or indigenous people spent much of their lives searching for food traveling around as they 8

The History of Latin America — page 8 — THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF LATIN AMERICA Early humans crossed from northeastern Asia to the Americas over a now-submerged land bridge over the Bering Strait Archaeological sites suggest the migration routes of Paleo-Indians after the glaciers melted hunted animals and gathered raw fruits If the food in a region was depleted they moved on to a different area In North America for example they stayed for a long time but as game became scarcer they followed the remaining animals down through the plains of Central America and the Andes Mountains of South America Life was dangerous for the early indigenous people In addition to the hazards of surviving in a difficult time they lived with large animals such as mammoths mastodons and bison Eventually they began to settle on the land and cultivate it as they experimented with agriculture All of this took place over the course of several centuries 9

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