The ConquestAnd Early Colonialism

Pre-hispanic Economies Food production

Immediate consumption Short-term storage

Barter/exchange economies Shells, feathers, obsidian, metal, coca, cacao,

cotton Sometimes elaborate (Incas)

Taxes as tribute (labor) No capital accumulation

“The Europeans did not ‘discover’ a utopian paradise of socially harmonious organizations”. 40,000 years two probable migratory routes

Asia: Bering Strait Polynesia: trade with Southern American

groups

Diverse societies with diverse characteristics, languages, cultures, specializations, degrees of organization

Imperial Societies that dominated Triple Alliance (Aztecs) (12th Century – Spanish

invasion) Maya (2000 BC – Spanish inv.; height 250-900AD) Incas (13th Century – Spanish) Olmec (1200 – 400 BC) Toltec (900? AD – 13th Century

“The pre-Columbian period witnessed the passing of numerous ‘civilizations’ with complex systems of territorial-administrative functions founded upon the subordination and disintegration of other social groups within their extensive imperial territories”.

Aztecs (Triple Alliance) Rise and fall of many empires in Valley of

Mexico before the Aztecs Teotihuacán: great city

Predates Aztecs; 400-600 AD Overthrown in 600

Continuity of culture in valley: Agricultural techniques Religion: gods and rituals

Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent)

Quetzalcoatl

Neovolcanic Range

Southern Highlands

Eastern Sierra Madre

Western Sierra MadreMesa del Norte

Mesa Central

Aztecs (12th Century until Spanish invasion)

Allied but ethnically different city states Seven tribes

Controlled valley of Mexico and much of central America

Triple Alliance, dominated most of Mexico (1430 – 1521) :

Mextica of Tenochtitlan Acolhua of Texcoco Tepaneca of Tlacopan

Ancient language extinct but modern language spoken by 2 million indigenous Mexicans

Written documentation on bark cloth

Language : nahuatl (NOW what)

city

Settled on marshy island in lake 1300 AD Built up the island literally Established Tenochtitlan 1325

Became the largest city in the world at that time 250,000 (Paris and Rome 100,000 each)

Tenochtitlan Intensive agricultural system : maize

Drainage canals, floating gardens (chinampas), aqueducts

Highly stratified society: ruling elite to laborers Land farmed by families, but owned by clans Paid tax/tribute with crops and crafts Provided labor for religious, community events and war

Inherited Maya calendar Writing and number system

Religious belief that god of Sun needed to be fed human hearts

Required constant battle to supply victims Tremendous resources devoted to building

temples and monuments

chinampas

Conquered by Cortés in 1521

First epidemic 1520 Measles and smallpox

Mexico City built on ruins

Maya

Modern Maya descendants 7 million Guatemala, Belize,

El Salvador, Honduras,

Mexico: Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Campeche

Maya region Written language Art Architecture Calendar Astronomy One of the most

densely populated and culturally sophisticated societies of its time

Pre-Classic (2000 BC – 250 AD) Classic (250 – 900 AD)

Peak of civilization Urbanism Monuments Artistic and intellectual achievement Agricultural intensification City-states Long-distance trade (cacao, salt, shells, jade,

obsidian) Collapse: spatially and temporally diverse

Post-Classic (900 to early 1500s) Colonial

Conquest 16th Century

Program of Genocide: Disease Battles and massacres Slavery

Representations of Early colonial geopolitical order

Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494 Network of urban centers Encomienda and mita systems Forced Christianity capitanías

capitanías Portuguese claims: based on exploration

and treaty rights Brazil coast

King divided Brazilian territory into 12 large land grant (capitanías) Each controlled by a noble proprietor (personal

responsible for development) Sugar cane All transferred to Crown in 1549 Some successful in sugar cane production

Treaty of Tordesillas 1494,Pope Alexander VI

Gold and Silver Columbus returned to Spain with GOLD

To prove lands were worth exploration

Spain Gold and silver mines in central Andes

Native American labor 1500 – 1800:

Spanish colonies produced 90,000 tons silver 80% total world production Mexico (Zacatecas, Guanajuato) Bolivia (Potosí)

Began Colonial Era economy (mid 1500s to mid 1800s)

Heavy human toll

Very hard labor

Not acclimatized to high altitudes

Mercury poisoning After 1550 in patio

process (silver extraction process)

Silver Wealth

did not reach mass of population

Visible in churches, palaces, monasteries

Gold Brazil (Minas Gerais) gold-production

center early 1700s

Colombia also produced gold

Brazil Portuguese colony Produced 65% of gold from Latin America Also raised cattle

Meat for Portuguese ships on way to East Indies

Sugar Cane Introduced into Americas by Spanish and

Portuguese

Initially, Portuguese colonial economy based on sugar

Monocultures on large coastal tracts or lowlands Needed water Needed forest for fuel Large labor force of slaves

Agriculture Indians and Mestizos practiced subsistence

Indigenous crops & methods

Commercial agriculture (selling commodities for markets) Stimulated by ports, towns, mines

Directed by Spain Used many introduced Old World plants Little went to Spain

Except sugar, hides, dyes

Mining and Agriculture linkedeconomically,

geographically Main market for commercial farming and

livestock was mines Tallow (candles), wine and brandy, meat,

mules, hides

As mines developed in Mexico… Bajío of Guanajuato and Valley of Guadalajara

became wheat and cattle areas

Haciendas / Estancias plantations Compact group of buildings

House Worker huts Chapel Corrals granaries

Produced for local market, not overseas trade Henequen in northern Yucatán

By late 1700s, dominant form of rural settlement

Latifundios Large landholdings owned by elite Latin

families

Prestige

Private land could be acquired by a merced (royal grant) Large (5000 acres) or small

Trade Routes In part dependent on ocean and

atmospheric circulation

North Atlantic trade Flotas leaving Spain, Portugal sailed SW to

Canary Islands, west to Caribbean Returning flotas: Gulf Stream to western

Europe

Ship routes

Routes of Spanish flota system in Middle America

Cheapest way to move goods: Ocean, coasts, rivers Overland travel very expensive, slow

40 mile overland journey across Panama : 4 days

Sugar: low value Sugar plantation within 15 miles of coast in

order to be profitable Silver:

High value of goods outweighed high cost of overland transport

Potosí to Lima: 4 months by mule

Principal colonial routes and ports (late 18th Century)

Colonial transportation in Middle America

Colonial GovernanceMeans of imposing control over new

territories Viceroys: ruling powers in Spain and Portugal Viceroyalties: their territories:

New Spain (Mexico City) Peru (Lima) La Plata (Asunción, later Buenos Aires) New Granada (Bogotá) Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

Viceroyalties

2 economic systems1. Mercantile System

Iberian royalty in charge of trade with Latin America

Quinto Real (Royal Fifth): 1/5 (20%) tax on all metals mined in colonies

Flotas Vessels loaded with gold and silver

Heavily guarded Traveled in groups (flotas)

Coastal cities built huge fortresses Campeche City, Mexico Havanna, Cuba San Juan, Puerto Rico Veracruz, Mexico

2. Encomienda

Social/economic institution Natives sent to encomenderos (Spaniards)

Forced to learn Spanish, convert to Catholicism Demanded tribute (labor)

Resulted in cultural destruction

Abolished in 1542

Repartimiento replaced encomienda (Called mita in Peru) Indians supplied labor to mines Abolished in 1812

Both systems served to create class divide Lower class: majority Upper class: wealthy few

Colonialism Began Latin America’s dependence on a

world economy with Northern powers (North Atlantic)

Seeds of many future problems: Regional economies based on supplying Spain

and Portugal’s demands Slavery fostered social injustice Local skills not developed

Did not have resources to build economies and states

Map of colonization