Download The United States and Latin America

World History: Connection to Today
Chapter 37
Latin America
(1945–Present)
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
World History: Connection to Today
Chapter 37: Latin America (1945–Present)
Section 1: Forces Shaping Modern Latin
America
Section 2: Latin America, the United States,
and the World
Section 3: Mexico, Central America, and the
Caribbean
Section 4: Focus on Argentina and Brazil
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
1
Forces Shaping Modern Latin America
• Why is Latin America a culturally diverse region?
• What conditions contributed to unrest in Latin
American countries?
• What forces shaped political, economic, and social
patterns in Latin America?
1
Why Is Latin America a Diverse Region?
Conquest
• After 1492, Europeans imposed their civilization on Native
Americans.
Immigration
• Since the late 1800s, immigrants from Europe and Asia have
contributed to the diversity.
Intermarriage
• As Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans mingled, they
created new cultures.
1
Ethnic Diversity in Latin America
1
Sources of Unrest
• A growing gulf between the rich and the poor fueled
discontent in the postwar era.
• A population explosion contributed to poverty.
• Pressure on the land contributed to a great migration
that sent millions of peasants to the cities.
1
Political Forces in Latin America
Most Latin American states had constitutions modeled on those of France
and the United States. Yet, real democracy seemed difficult to achieve in
nations plagued by poverty and inequality.
•
Conflict between conservatives and reformers contributed to political
instability in many nations.
•
Military leaders held power in many Latin American nations.
•
During the 1960s and 1970s, guerrillas and urban terrorists battled
repressive governments in many Latin American countries.
•
By the mid-1980s, inflation, debt, and growing protests led repressive
leaders to step aside.
•
A number of countries held elections to replace military governments
with civilian governments.
•
Heavy debt burden and economic slowdowns have threatened the
success of elected rulers, putting the stability of democratic
governments in the region in doubt.
1
Economic Development
By the 1960s, Latin America faced growing competition from African and Asian nations.
To reduce dependence on imported goods, many governments encouraged the
development of local industries. This policy, called import substitution, had mixed success.
Over the past 60 years, large areas of land were opened up to farming. Much of the best
farmland belonged to agribusiness. Commercial agriculture increased the need to import
food.
In the 1980s, the region was rocked by economic crisis.
In the 1990s, free trade organizations, such as NAFTA, opened Latin American economies to
larger markets. The mutual support and expanded markets of these organizations did bring
some economic growth in the years around 2000.
1
Changing Social Patterns
In Latin America, as elsewhere, urbanization brought social upheaval.
URBANIZATION
City life weakened the
extended family.
The struggle to make a
living caused some families
to fall apart.
In large cities, thousands of
abandoned or runaway
children roamed the streets.
WOMEN
Upper-class women had
access to education and
careers.
Rural women often faced
hardship and poverty.
Women struggled to win
change.
RELIGION
The Catholic Church has
remained a powerful force.
During the 1960s and
1970s, the Church
crusaded for social justice
and an end to poverty.
This movement became
known as liberation
theology.
1
Section 1 Assessment
Native Americans make up what percentage of Mexico’s population?
a) 60
b) 30
c) 9
d) 95
To reduce dependence on imported goods, many Latin American nations
a) encouraged the development of local industries.
b) invested in agribusiness.
c) joined NAFTA.
d) began taxing imports.
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1
Section 1 Assessment
Native Americans make up what percentage of Mexico’s population?
a) 60
b) 30
c) 9
d) 95
To reduce dependence on imported goods, many Latin American nations
a) encouraged the development of local industries.
b) invested in agribusiness.
c) joined NAFTA.
d) began taxing imports.
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2
Latin America, the United States, and the World
• How did communist rule affect
Cuba?
• What policies did the United States
follow in Latin America?
• What global issues have linked Latin
America to other regions in the
world?
2
Communism in Cuba
In the late 1950s, Fidel Castro turned Cuba into a communist state. Castro:
•
nationalized foreign-owned sugar plantations and other businesses
•
put most land under government control
•
distributed land to peasants
Effects of communist rule:
Castro imposed harsh authoritarian rule.
Conditions for the poor improved, basic health care was provided for all, the
literacy rate increased, and equality for women was promoted.
Critics were jailed or silenced and hundreds of thousands fled to the United
States.
When the Cold War ended, Soviet aid disappeared, and Cuba’s economy
collapsed.
2
The United States and Latin America
•
The United States was the leading investor and trading partner for
most nations in Latin America.
•
During the Cold War, the United States intervened repeatedly in Latin
America to protect its interests and to prevent the spread of
communism.
•
The United States saw itself as the defender of democracy and
capitalism and the source of humanitarian aid. Many Latin
Americans, however, resented living under the shadow of the
“colossus of the north.”
•
Latin American nations and the United States worked together in the
Organization of American States (OAS). The organization was formed
in 1948 to promote democracy, economic cooperation, and human
rights.
2
Regional and Global Issues
REGIONAL TIES
THE DRUG WARS
Regional trading blocs gained
importance in the 1990s. Such groups
created larger markets by lowering trade
barriers among neighboring countries.
Examples: NAFTA, Mercosur
Drug cartels in Latin America began
exporting ever-larger quantities of cocaine
and other drugs.
DEVELOPMENT VERSUS
ENVIRONMENT
Developing nations insisted that they
needed to exploit their land and other
resources if they wanted economic
growth. This came at the expense of the
environment.
In the 1980s, the United States declared a
“war on drugs,” pressing Latin American
governments to cooperate with these
efforts.
MIGRATION
Poverty, civil war, and repressive
governments caused Latin American
immigration to the United States to increase
rapidly after the 1970s.
Pressure increased in the United States to
halt illegal immigration.
2
Section 2 Assessment
Which nation was the leading investor and trading partner for Latin America?
a) Mexico
b) Britain
c) the United States
d) the Soviet Union
Which of the following is an example of a regional trading bloc?
a) the Monroe Doctrine
b) the war on drugs
c) the UN
d) NAFTA
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2
Section 2 Assessment
Which nation was the leading investor and trading partner for Latin America?
a) Mexico
b) Britain
c) the United States
d) the Soviet Union
Which of the following is an example of a regional trading bloc?
a) the Monroe Doctrine
b) the war on drugs
c) the UN
d) NAFTA
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3
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
• What conditions have changed and
what conditions have remained the
same in Mexico?
• Why did Central American countries
suffer civil wars?
• What were the causes of Haiti’s
political and economic struggles?
Continuity and Change in
Mexico
3
After the Mexican Revolution, government officials became committed to
improving conditions for the poor. At the end of the 1900s, however, Mexico
remained a disturbing mix of poverty and prosperity.
Since the Mexican Revolution, a single party — the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI) — dominated Mexican politics. In the 1990s, the PRI began to lose its
monopoly on power.
In the 1930s, the Mexican government distributed millions of acres of land to
peasants. Over the years, as economic conditions worsened, many peasants
migrated to towns and cities. The population of Mexico City mushroomed from 1.5
million in 1940 to about 20 million in 1995.
3
War and Peace in Central America
In Central America, unrest threatened and discontent grew.
Fearing the spread of communism, the United States intervened
repeatedly in the region.
NICARAGUA
In 1979, revolutionaries called
Sandinistas ousted the ruling
Somoza family.
Fearing that Nicaragua would
become socialist, the United
States secretly backed the
“contras” in a long civil war
against the Sandinistas.
GUATEMALA
EL SALVADOR
Fearing communist influence,
the United States helped oust
Guatemala’s reformist
government in 1954.
During a vicious civil war,
right-wing death squads
slaughtered anyone thought
to sympathize with the leftists.
While the military regained
power, decades of civil war
ensued, during which the
government routinely tortured
and murdered critics.
The United States pressed for
reform, but at the same time
provided weapons and other
aid to help the military battle
rebel guerrillas.
3
The Impact of Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch dealt a devastating social and economic blow to Central
America, whose nations were just recovering from decades of civil war.
3
Struggle in Haiti
POLITICAL
STRUGGLES
Haiti endured brutal dictatorial
rule from 1957 until 1986.
A succession of military
leaders then ruled the nation
until 1990.
In 1990, in its first free
elections, Jean-Bertrand
Aristide was chosen as
president.
Aristide was overthrown by a
military coup, but restored to
power by the United States.
ECONOMIC
STRUGGLES
Haiti is the poorest state in the
Western Hemisphere, lacking
adequate roads, electricity,
and other services.
The weakness of the
government discouraged
foreign investment.
A skewed distribution of
wealth put most of the
productive land in the hands
of one or two percent of the
citizens.
3
Section 3 Assessment
What was the amount of property damage that Hurricane Mitch caused Honduras?
a)
b)
c)
d)
one million dollars
3,700 million dollars
100 million dollars
300 million dollars
Which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere?
a) Haiti
b) Guatemala
c) El Salvador
d) Mexico
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3
Section 3 Assessment
What was the amount of property damage that Hurricane Mitch caused Honduras?
a)
b)
c)
d)
one million dollars
3,700 million dollars
100 million dollars
300 million dollars
Which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere?
a) Haiti
b) Guatemala
c) El Salvador
d) Mexico
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4
Focus on Argentina and Brazil
• What challenges has democracy
faced in Argentina?
• How did Brazil’s government change
in recent times?
• Why did Brazil’s “economic miracle”
have limited success?
4
From Dictatorship to Democracy in Argentina
From 1946 to 1955, the authoritarian government of Juan Perón
stifled opposition.
In 1955, Perón was ousted by a military coup.
For two decades, the military was in and out of power.
In 1973, Perón returned to power. When he died the next year, his
second wife, Isabel Perón, became president. When she faced
economic and political crises, the military took over.
To combat leftist guerrillas, the army waged a “dirty war,” torturing
and murdering as many as 20,000 people.
In 1983, an elected government restored democracy. Despite some
setbacks, democratic rule survived.
4
Economic Activity in Argentina
4
Government in Brazil
Between 1930 and 1945, dictator Getúlio
Vargas allied himself with the working poor.
In 1945, the military overthrew Vargas.
The military allowed elected presidents to
rule for the next 20 years.
In the mid-1980s, the military eased their grip on
power. Brazilians voted directly for a president
for the first time in 29 years.
In 1964, economic problems and fear of
communism led the military to take over again.
4
Urbanization in Brazil
4
Brazil’s Economic Miracle
Beginning in the 1930s, Brazil diversified its economy and, for a time,
chalked up impressive growth. Brazil’s prosperity enriched only a few.
To most Brazilians, it brought little or no benefit.
In the 1980s, Brazil faced a host of economic problems — from
inflation to a staggering debt. One of the greatest economic problems
was the unequal distribution of land.
In the 1990s, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, provided strong
leadership for Brazil. His policies promoted rapid economic growth and
helped limit inflation. He promised to distribute land to 300,000
families.
4
Section 4 Assessment
Who ruled Argentina from 1946 to 1955?
a) Getúlio Vargas
b) Juan Perón
c) Fernando Henrique Cardoso
d) Isabel Perón
Which of the following was not one of the problems faced by Brazil in the 1980s?
a) unequal distribution of land
b) devastating earthquakes
c) inflation
d) staggering debt
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4
Section 4 Assessment
Who ruled Argentina from 1946 to 1955?
a) Getúlio Vargas
b) Juan Perón
c) Fernando Henrique Cardoso
d) Isabel Perón
Which of the following was not one of the problems faced by Brazil in the 1980s?
a) unequal distribution of land
b) devastating earthquakes
c) inflation
d) staggering debt
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