LAH - Latin American History and Cultural Legacy (Lesson)

Latin American History and Cultural Legacy

Introduction 

Native Americans were the very first people to arrive in Latin America between 11,000 and 15,000 years ago. They migrated from Siberia across the Bering Strait and into the Americas in search of food. Some settled in North America, and others continued their migration into present-day Latin America. Over time, many Native Americans settled and created advanced civilizations. The largest and most advanced Native American civilizations were the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas.

Spanish explorers began to arrive in the Americas in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Spanish explorers set out in search of gold and territories that they could claim for the mother country of Spain. Spain eventually controlled many parts of Latin America.

Colonists from European countries eventually settled the land and created new societies that were controlled by colonial governments. Colonists spread Christianity to the Native Americans and ultimately used the indigenous people as laborers. Colonists also brought diseases which quickly killed millions of Native Americans over many years. When the native population began to die out, Europeans brought slaves from Africa to Latin America.

 

Early Civilizations

Today's Native Americans were the first to arrive in present-day Latin America thousands of years ago. They followed wild game across the Bering Strait and traveled south through North America and into Central America over many centuries. A few groups settled and developed complex societies. Other groups continued to travel further south into South America.

The first civilization that flourished in Latin America was the Olmec civilization. The Olmecs built complex cities in southern Mexico beginning around 1500 BCE. Olmec cities contained a highly dense population of people. A demand for the production of luxury goods such as jewels and sculptures made from obsidian, magnetite, and jade became valuable and highly sought after by the elite and wealthy groups of people that resided within the cities. Likewise, some Olmec cities were agricultural and located near areas that grew corn, squash, and beans. Other Olmec cities were religious centers where elaborate pyramid shaped temples were built. The Olmec civilization ended around 400 BCE. Archaeologists do not know why the civilization abruptly disappeared. However, the Olmecs laid the foundation for civilizations that followed. 

The Mayan civilization settled Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula about 300 CE and flourished until 900 CE. The Mayans were a highly advanced society. The Mayans studied astronomy by charting movements of the moon and planets. They predicted eclipses and other celestial events and tracked the passage of time by observing the movement of the sun. The Mayans determined that a year was 365 days and that once every four years the calendar fell out of sequence. The Mayans built elaborate temples made out of stone that were shaped like pyramids.

Around 900 CE, the Mayan civilization collapsed.

 

Discover more about additional early civilizations in the activity below.

 

European Exploration and Colonization

For the next 200 years, Europe's largest countries began exploring and colonizing Latin America. As Europeans colonized these areas, they brought their beliefs, customs, cultures, and languages with them. They set up colonies, new governments, and spread Christianity to the Native Americans. Native Americans were forced to work for European colonists. When the Native American populations began to die because of diseases, Europeans brought slaves from Africa to Latin America.

Slaves from Africa came to Latin America with the Portuguese and Spanish in the 15th and 16th centuries. Slaves from West Africa and Central Africa arrived in Latin America as part of the triangular trade route between Africa, Latin America, and North America. Slaves were sent to Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico to work on plantations where molasses and sugar were grown and exported as cash crops to North America.

Following the Voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492, colonization and trade between Europeans in the Americas, slaves in Africa, and Europeans in Europe became widespread. This was known as the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange impacted both hemispheres culturally, economically, and socially.

 

One of the greatest aspects of exploration and colonization was that people learned about new places, plants, animals, and foods. People began to exchange animals, plants, and foods between hemispheres. The integration of new foods in Europe spurred a population growth across the continent. However, the exchange also brought many new types of illnesses and diseases that killed thousands of Native Americans in Latin America.

 

Review

Review what you've learned using the activity below.

 

 

 

 

 

OLMEC MAP BY FABIENKHAN [CC-BY-SA-3.0], VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
COLUMBIAN EXHANGE MAP VIA KHAN ACADEMY
ALL OTHER IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS