People And Cultures Of The Americas

Front 1

Capitalism

Back 1

Production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is controlled by
individuals rather than the government

Front 2

Geopolitics

Back 2

National policy based on interrelation of politics and geography
o Ex: US interests in Guatemala
US had economic ties in United Fruit Co.
Did not want communism spreading close to home

Front 3

state terror

Back 3

o violence organized by state government typically targeted towards
but not limited to guerrilla rebel groups
o often funded by an outside country that has invested political and
economical interests in country
o Ex: US supported General Ibanez’s coup in Chile
1925-1931
Ibanez imposes free market economic policies shaped by

Front 4

cultural hegemony

Back 4

o Domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class who
imposes their own views and opinions into becoming the social
norm
o Why do certain things become engrained in our culture?

Front 5

Eurocentrism

Back 5

o Viewing the world from a European perspective
o European ways are superior to those in the Americas; thus,
Europeans implement their culture into Americas
o Coined during decolonialism

Front 6

Enlightenment

Back 6

o Spurred the desire for social and economic reform to spread
throughout Latin America and Iberian Peninsula
o Raised ideas about free trade

Front 7

labor exploitation/slavery

Back 7

indigenous workers were cheaper than slaves
forced to work in mitas, repartimientos, and encomiendas
o new sources of natural resources in the new world required labor
to extract resources from Americas and deliver them to European
colonial Coffers

Front 8

US interventionism

Back 8

o US intervened in multiple Latin American countries based on
geopolitical interests
o Monroe Doctrine gave US ‘right’ to intervene
o Ex: US intervention of Cuba in 1906
Platt Amendment says US can use force under certain
circumstances
US sends Navy to Cuba to ‘protect American citizens’ and
patrol island
US supported liberal rebels overthrowing Tomas Palma
US wanted to protect its sugar plantations

Front 9

Industrial revolution

Back 9

o Development of technology in the 19th century, specifically in
agriculture, manufacturing, mining and transportation industry
o Provided great opportunity for Latin American markets and exports

Front 10

social constructs

Back 10

social barrier that includes some while excluding others

Front 11

agriculture

Back 11

o railroads related the expansion of farming to the Latin American
countryside
o agricultural exports account for ½ of Argentina’s export earnings
o Italian immigrant labor provides steady supply of cheap workers
o By 1900, there were more than 10 million planted acres in latin
America

Front 12

neocolonialism

Back 12

use of capitalism, business globalization, or cultural imperialism to
control a country through military control or indirect political control
(i.e. imperialism and hegemony)

Front 13

neoliberalism

Back 13

o post WWII
o “liberalism on crack”
o deregulated trade; little state influence over business
o borrows from enlightenment period
o Milton Friedman and the University of Chicago

Front 14

encomienda:

Back 14

Spanish crown gave a Spaniard a number of natives;
Spanish were supposed to protect natives and teach them
Catholicism and Spanish; in return, natives had to work (basically
slavery)

Front 15

mita:

Back 15

communities obligated to send certain amount of male
population to work (1/7 for Potosi); paid wages that barely covered
cost of living

Front 16

repartimiento:

Back 16

natives forced to work a certain number of weeks/
months each year; slave like conditions but natives were technically
free

Front 17

triangle trade

Back 17

o transatlantic slave trade between West Africa, Caribbean or
American colonies, and European colonial powers
o late 16th century to early 19th century

Front 18

mestizos:

Back 18

mixed heritage or descent

Front 19

peninsulares:

Back 19

Europeans who had been born on the Iberian
peninsula
maintain top posts in state and church

Front 20

creoles

Back 20

European descent born in America
made up the colonial elite and middle sectors of society

Front 21

Potosi

Back 21

o Peruvian silver mines
o Indian laborers were forced to work in the mines through the mita
system
o After Indians started to die, Spanish colonists began importing
African slaves
o 1800s: mines deplete

Front 22

pigemntocracy

Back 22

o access to rights linked to skin color
o typically a white privilege

Front 23

Incan resistance

Back 23

1532: Pizarro arrives in Peru
o Pizarro invites the Inca (Atahualpa) to a meeting
o Spanish attack Indians from their hiding spots; not one Spanish
was killed or wounded
o Atahualpa offers gold for ransom; killed anyways
o Spanish takeover of Peru was not as easy as that of Mexico
Incan constantly fought back; replaced murdered leaders
quickly

Front 24

Rosas

Back 24

o Dominated Argentina form 1829-1852
o Leading landowner who represented the province’s ranching elite
o Wanted people to respect private property
o Somehow still gained support from the poor

Front 25

Napoleon

Back 25

o Invaded Spain in 1808; conquered Spain and Portugal
o New World citizens did not like the crown but hated Napoleon more
o Colonies like Argentina somewhat declare their independence
o Napoleon’s revolution provided a distraction for the crowned and
tied up Spanish troops and ships

Front 26

Haitian revolution

Back 26

o Result of Saint Domingue’s economic advance
o Country was divided by slavery, caste, and class
o Slave rebellion led by Boukman beat Napolean’s army of 25,000
troops led by his brother-in-law could not defeat rebels
o Proclaimed free nation in 1804

Front 27

Quinto

Back 27

20% taxation implemented by Spain on all mining of
precious metals; later reduced to 10%
major source of revenue for Spanish monarchy

Front 28

Capitation

Back 28

10% taxation on all slaves collected by the Portuguese
crown
pre-colonial/colonial era
labor systems were necessary for wealth extraction, so slave
owners had no choice but to pay the tax

Front 29

French revolution

Back 29

o Caused by hunger, malnutrition, increase in food prices, state’s
bankruptcy, separation of upper and lower class
o Enlightenment inspired French citizens to realize their inequalities
o 1792: France becomes a republic
o influenced French colonies in Haiti to strive for independence

Front 30

Russian revolution

Back 30

o 1905: political and social unrest as Russian workers felt they were
not being treated fairly
o liberal party uprises
o 1906: revolution is crushed by the Czar
o inspires workers in Mexico

Front 31

El Mozote

Back 31

o 1981
o 1,000 civilians killed by US trained Atlacatl Battalion
o plan was to kill anyone who supported the Guerilla army
o US tried to deny the massacre, saying it was propaganda

Front 32

monocropping

Back 32

o practice of growing a single crop each year on the same land
o crops take nutrients from soil, resulting in poor crops the following
year
o puddles are created from poor soil; results in malaria outbreaks

Front 33

cattle

Back 33

o refrigeration allows for more beef production; beef can also be
transported across the Atlantic ocean

o exporters incentivize improved quality of beef, resulting in the
cross-breeding and genetic modification of meat in order to meet
European standards

Front 34

Cuba

Back 34

o 1959: Castro and his supporters seize power
o 1965: Cuban government officially becomes the Communist Party
of Cuba
o US imposes a trade embargo on Cuba; results in steep economic
decline
o Called for armed revolution across the capitalist world
Funded various militant leftist groups

Front 35

Cold War

Back 35

o 1947-1991
o US and NATO vs. USSR
o US wanted to keep communism from spreading in Latin America
Resulted in coup that ousted Guatemalan president Arbenz

Front 36

WW I and II

Back 36

o After WWII, US emerges as a military adne conomic global power
European powers weakened
Soviet Union challenges US dominance

Front 37

Good Neighbor Policy

Back 37

o Term originally coined by Hoover in 1928
o FDR wanted to mend relations with Latin American countries after
earlier interventions
o US removed Marines from Haiti and Nicaragua
o Ended with the threat of the Cold War

Front 38

Roosevelt Corollary

Back 38

o 1904
o Amendment to Monroe Doctrine by T. Roosevelt
o US had the right to intervene to stabilize the economic affairs
of small nations in the Americas if they were unable to pay their
international debts

Front 39

Monroe Doctrine

Back 39

o 1823
o European powers could no longer colonize or interfere with newly
independent states in the Americas
o US would not interfere with existing colonies of their dependencies
in western hemisphere

o Any attempt by a European nation to oppress nations in west would
be seen as an act of aggression and US would intervene

Front 40

Peron

Back 40

o Took part in military coup against Castillo
Became minister of Labor Department; worked to strengthen
labor laws an unions
o US did not support Peron during his election
o 1946: becomes president
o wanted to keep political and economic influences of other countries
out of Argentina
o protected Nazi war criminals; began leaning towards a fascist
regime
o 1955: pushed out of power by a nationalist Catholic revolt with
Army and Navy ties

Front 41

Sugar

Back 41

did not consume sugar
o Was the first trans-Atlantic export crop
o Brazil becomes largest sugar exporter
Sugar mills had on average 60-100 slaves
Took 18 months for slave to cover their purchase price
2/3 of slaves went to sugar plantations
o Drives new demand for enslaved Africans
o Sugar trade increased Europe’s money supply by 8 times
o Sugar revolution created sugar monocropping, large plantations,
slave/wage labor, white and black population, and dense
settlements

Front 42

Banana Republics

Back 42

o Politically unstable country that depends economically on the
exports of a limited resource (fruits, minerals)
o Society usually composed of stratified social classes (impoverished
working class and ruling elite)

Front 43

Arbenz

Back 43

o President of Guatemala from 1951-1954
Ubico (pro-US)
Arana (anti-US)
Arbenz (anti-US)
o Guatemala begins to sway towards Communism; has problems
with UFC

o Ousted by US and CIA coup; replaced with Castillos

Front 44

United Fruit

Back 44

o Created in 1899
o Developed much of central America- built roads, docks, and ports;
developed land
o Operated in corrupt political system dominated by Latin American
military
o Guatemala coup supported by US due to interest in United Fruit

Front 45

state of exception

Back 45

state of exception
o normal rules/laws of a country are suspended
o government claims a whole group of people is subject to death
because everyone is a suspect
o state has right to inflict death in the name of justice
o i.e. El Mozote massacre

Front 46

Castro

Back 46

o Ruled Cuba from 1959-2008
o Converted Cuba into a one-party socialist state
o Helped lead guerrilla war against Batista forces
Batista was dictator supported by US

Front 47

NAFTA

Back 47

o 1994
o Trilateral trade between Canada, US, and New Mexico
o Largest trade bloc in the world
o Eliminates tariffs for imports/exports
o Advantages
Mexico and Canada are often top purchases of US exports
Created growth in Mexico (more factories producing exports)
Stimulated economy in all countries
o Disadvantages
Depresses income of poor farmers in Mexico (US subsidizes
corn; American farmers sell it at extremely low prices)

Front 48

Bolivar

Back 48

o Venezuelan military and political leader
o Fought for New Granada’s independence then independence of
Venezuela and Ecuador
o “El Libertador”

o 1816: arrives to Venezuela with Haitian soldiers and material
support (on the condition that he abolishes slavery)
o 1821: creates Gran Colombia (Colombia, Panama, Ecuador,
Venezuela, and Northern Peru); becomes president
took over task of liberating Peru; defeats Spanish cavalry in
1824

Front 49

Pinochet

Back 49

o Dictator of Chile from 1973-1990
o His government killed many people that did not support him
o US most likely supported many of Pinochet’s supporters; used
them as spies
o Imposed economic measures created by the Chicago Boys
Policies at first hurt Chile but eventually created a strong
economy

Front 50

social death

Back 50

o racial narratives, racial behaviors, and relationship powers lead to
the annihilation of a human body
o people lose their ability to thrive and connect as human beings

Front 51

time period for Mercantilist Colonial Period

Back 51

1500 to 1750

Front 52

time period for Outward growth based on primary
exports

Back 52

1750 to 1914

Front 53

time period for Post-independence struggle for
power - new state formations

Back 53

1820s to 1880s

Front 54

time period for Liberal era - European and U.S.
investment

Back 54

1880s to 1930

Front 55

time period for Crisis of the Liberal Model

Back 55

1914 to 1950

Front 56

time period forTransnational capital -
neoliberalism

Back 56

1950s to 1990s

Front 57

Hildalgo

Back 57

father of mexican independence. take arms against spanis

Front 58

moreles

Back 58

congress: declarations of rights, slavery abolished, equality of classes

Front 59

bolivar

Back 59

wanted south american unity. liberates venezuela, colombia, equador

Front 60

liberal era Argentina economy

Back 60

meat, wool and grains

Front 61

liberal era Mexico economy

Back 61

minerals and oil

Front 62

liberal era Chile economy

Back 62

nitrates and copper

Front 63

liberal era Brazil and Colombia economy

Back 63

coffee

Front 64

liberal era Cuba and Dominican Republic economy

Back 64

sugar