LATIN AMERICA

A basic history

How did that come to be?

Essential Question:

How did the period of European exploration affect the outcome of

human settlement and development of nations in these regions?

Native civilizations: Maya***

Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala

250-900 CE City-states, kings,

priests Sacrifice and

blood-letting Slash and burn

farming

Are human sacrifices still prevalent in Latin America?

Why not?

Mayan sacrifices

What type of vegetation zone did the Maya live in? How did that affect their livelihood?

They practiced slash-and-burn farming and grew many crops

They also had impressive art, architecture, systems of writing, and had a calendar (that was ultimately WRONG! The world never ended)

Native civilizations: Aztec***

Central Mexico – Tenochtitlan

1400 -1520 CE

Sacrifices, blood letting, and large pyramids

Aztec society***

Aztecs practiced city planning

The Aztecs were also very accomplished in architecture

Native civilizations: Inca

Peru and Chile 1500’s Roads connected

their empire Kept records with

ropes and knots

Inca society***

How does the Geography of Peru and Chile affect people living there?

Terrace farming

European Colonization***

Spain colonized Mexico and most of central and South America

Portugal colonized Brazil

England colonized Jamaica and Belize

French colonized Haiti

Spain and Portugal England and France

Slaves***

Europe used South America as a way to gain new natural resources Columbian exchange Plantations and farming

Colonizers forced natives to work the plantations, but also brought over slaves from Africa

African Influences***

Music – Calypso, steel drum bands, reggae

Religion – voodoo in Haiti, Candomble in Brazil