Imp #5: Latin America
South America: “Rich keep on getting richer”
• Problems:
1. Economic inequality
• Most ppl worked as farmers for wealthy landowners, didn’t get paid enough to survive, thus went into debt which passed on to their kids
• Why didn’t they just quit & run away?
2. Political problems
• Caudillos (= dictators) ruled
– Wealthy supported them b/c it didn’t upset their way of life
– Why didn’t the poor rebel?
3. Economic Dependence• Main source of $ = exports
(goods sent out of the country) of agricultural (farming) products like fruit & beef
• No industrialization! So, had to import (send in from other countries) manufactured goods like machines
This leads to….• Imports cost more than what they could
sell in exports puts them in DEBT!
• Foreign countries said – we’ll erase your debt if you let us control part of your country …
– Start of imperialism in S. Am.
Today, • What does the US export meaning
make here & sell around the world?
• What do we import meaning buy from other countries?
• How can this cause problems for the US?
Imperialism #6: US in Latin America
Cuba
• Tried to fight off Spanish
for 10 years- gave up.
• 1898, US who has
economic presence there
decides to help Cuba=
Spanish American War.– Lasts 6 weeks, US Wins
Jose Marti
Treaty
• US gets – Some
control of
Cuba– Guam,
Phillipines,
Puerto Rico
Panama• To shorten trade routes,
Theodore Roosevelt
(US President) offers
Colombia $10 million to
control Panama- they
want MORE!!
• So, Roosevelt
encourages Panama
to rebel-they do!
Panama Canal (1904-1914)• Panama become independent • US gives them $10 million & an annual fee to control the
canal zone.
• It takes 10 years to build. Six thousand workers will die due to dangerous conditions & disease. In the process, 240 million cubic yards of earth will be moved.