Detailed Latin American History & Geography Quizlet for Independent Learners

Aztec

Civilization in the Valley of Mexico. Built their capital, Tenochtitlán, on a lake. They adapted by creating chinampas (floating gardens) for farming, causeways (raised roads) to connect the island city to land, and used engineering to control flooding and maximize crop production.

Inca

Mountain civilization in the Andes. Adapted by building terrace farms into steep cliffs, preventing erosion and creating flat land. They built an advanced road network (Qhapaq Ñan) with rope suspension bridges, unifying one of the largest empires in the Americas.

Maya

Lived in the dense Yucatán rainforest. Faced poor soil and heavy jungle. Used slash-and-burn farming to clear fields and created chultunes, underground cisterns that stored rainwater for dry seasons. Skilled in math, writing, and astronomy.

Chinampas

Artificial "floating" garden plots built on lake water to create fertile farmland.

Terrace Farming

Step-like agricultural fields built into mountainsides to stop erosion and increase farming space.

Chultunes

Underground storage rooms that collected and preserved rainwater for Maya cities.

Spanish Myth

Conquistadors claimed they won because they were better fighters, smarter, and chosen by God.

Real Reason Spain Defeated the Aztecs

1. Smallpox killed huge portions of the Aztec population, including leaders, before battles even happened. 2. Native alliances — many groups hated Aztec rule and joined Cortés (especially the Tlaxcalans). 3. Spanish technology — horses, steel armor, metal swords, and guns terrified and overwhelmed Aztec soldiers.

Smallpox

A deadly European disease that wiped out about 90% of Indigenous populations.

Tlaxcalans

A powerful Indigenous group who became key allies to Cortés and helped bring down the Aztec Empire.

Columbian Exchange

Massive movement of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (Americas) after 1492.

Old World Benefits

New American crops (potatoes, corn, tomatoes) increased nutrition and caused population growth in Europe and Asia.

New World Costs

Diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza caused "The Great Dying," killing up to 90% of Native Americans.

Connection to Slave Trade

Because so many Indigenous laborers died, Europeans turned to enslaving millions of Africans to replace them.

Mercantilism

Economic system where colonies exist ONLY to provide wealth to the mother country. Colonies were not allowed to develop their own industries.

Casta System

Racial hierarchy that placed Europeans born in Spain (Peninsulares) at the top, Creoles (Europeans born in the Americas) below them, and Indigenous, African, and mixed populations at the bottom with little power.

Encomienda

System where the Spanish claimed they were "protecting and converting" Indigenous people, but in reality it was forced labor and exploitation.

Long-Term Causes of Latin American Revolutions

Enlightenment ideas of liberty and equality. Creoles resented Peninsulares ruling over them. Inspired by American, French, and Haitian Revolutions.

Short-Term Cause (The Spark)

In 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain and replaced the Spanish king. Colonies formed juntas (self-governments) because Spain had no legitimate ruler. Once they got a taste of self-rule, they refused to give it up.

Juntas

Local governments formed when Spain lost its king.

Political Change

Spanish rule ended and new countries formed.

Social Continuity

Even though Spain left, the social hierarchy stayed the same. Creoles took power but didn't improve life for the poor, Indigenous, or enslaved populations.

Brazil's Independence

Achieved peacefully when Prince Dom Pedro declared independence. To keep rich landowners happy, slavery continued until 1888, one of the latest in the world.

Caudillo

A military strongman or dictator who ruled with force.

Why People Supported Caudillos

After independence, countries had chaos, weak governments, and constant fighting. People preferred order and stability even if it meant losing democratic freedoms. Caudillos promised protection and quick action.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Teddy Roosevelt's policy: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Use military power to get what the U.S. wants.

Panama Canal

The U.S. wanted a canal for trade and military power. When Colombia refused to sell the land, the U.S. helped Panama rebel and then built the canal.

Roosevelt Corollary

U.S. claimed it had the right to be the "police" of the Western Hemisphere and intervene in Latin American countries.

Containment

U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism anywhere in the world.

Chile 1973

The U.S. helped overthrow the elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, because they feared communism. Replaced him with the dictator Pinochet.

Guatemala

The CIA removed a democratically elected president who took land from United Fruit Company to help indigenous farmers.

Colonial Legacy

Spain created extractive systems (like encomienda and mercantilism) built for resource extraction, not development. This created deep inequality.

Political Instability

Frequent coups, civil wars, and corruption scared away investors and made long-term growth difficult.

Neocolonialism

Even after independence, foreign countries (U.S. and Europe) controlled Latin American economies by dominating trade and investments.

Failure of the "Big Push"

Developing nations need large investments in education, roads, health, and industry. Latin America often lacked money, stability, or coordination to do this.

Oil Dependency

Venezuela relied almost entirely on oil money. When oil prices crashed, the economy collapsed.

Political Polarization

The government (socialist under Maduro) and the opposition despise each other, causing major conflict.

Foreign Influence

U.S., China, and Russia all interfere in Venezuela for strategic power.

Migration Crisis

Around 8 million Venezuelans fled due to poverty, violence, and shortages, creating one of the largest refugee crises in the world.

Autocracy

A government where one person holds unlimited power and citizens have no real political freedom.

Nationalize

When the government takes control of a private business or industry and makes it state-owned.

Precarious

Something unstable, dangerous, or likely to collapse at any moment.

Sovereignty

A nation's full right to govern itself without outside interference.