19th CENTURY LATIN AMERICA

Latin America19thcentury

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Latin America (Central/South American, and the Caribbean region) also underwent dramatic changes in the 19th century. At first glance, Latin American societies shared many historical experiences with the United States. They shared a key historical foundation, European colonization transformed their culture and historical direction, forcibly fusing the cultures of Europe, native Americans and African (slave) populations. And both the U.S. and Latin America achieved independence within the same 30 - 40 year period. However, during the 19th century, Latin American countries faced far greater difficulties achieving successful and stable independent states after independence. The outcome of the period of decolonization was dramatically different for Latin American societies, as compared to the U.S..

In Latin America, Spain was the dominant colonial authority. And the absolutist Spanish crown did not allow autonomy or economic opportunity for its colonial subjects. In Spanish-controlled American territories, tremendous wealth was generated from gold, silver and lucrative cash crops such as sugar and coffee. Thus, land ownership was directly and tightly controlled by the Spanish monarchy, the Catholic Church and wealthy/influential Spanish aristocratic families. There was little opportunity for poor, lower class Spanish to go to the "New World" in pursuit of individual land ownership; large estates were controlled by the elite, the same pattern as in Europe.