Weekly Summary

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Week12-PowerPointPresentation.pdf

Social�Geography Part�1:�Peopling�of�Latin�America

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Indigenous • Population�estimates�at�time�of�conquest� have�ranged�from12�to�125M�– a�general� figure�that�is�used�today�is�90M

• How�were�they�distributed? – Mesoamerica�– 17M�(1�in�13) – Andes�– 16M�(1�in�4) – Tropical�South�America�– 8Ͳ9M�(about��3%) – Caribbean�– 9M

Africans

• Labor�shortage�caused�by�the�“demographic�collapse”� of�the�indigenous�led�to�the�forced�migration�of� millions�of�Africans�into�the�Americas

• Where�did�people�go? – Spanish�America�– 1.55M – Brazil�– 3.64M – British�Caribbean�– 1.67M – French�Caribbean�– 1.6M – Dutch�Caribbean�– 500,000

Europeans

• Mainly�from�Spain�and�Portugal – 1492Ͳ1600�– 300,000�migrated – 17th Century�– 450,000�migrated

• Population�by�early�1800s – In�the�Spanish�colonies:�17M�total;�7.5M�indigenous,�5.3M� mestizos,�3.2M�whites,�1M�blacks�and�mulattos

– In�Brazil:�blacks�and�mulattos�2.5M,�whites�1M,�indigenous� and�mestizos�500,000

Miscegenation • Integral�part�of�the�social�and�sexual�fabric�of�both�Spanish�and�

Portuguese�colonial�societies • Few�women�came�to�the�colonies,�so�men�engaged�in�either�shortͲ

term�sexual�liaisons�and/or�marital�unions�with�native�women,� producing�mestizos – Few�during�early�decades�but�populations�grew�considerably�but�

not�uniformly�– majority�populations�in�Mexico,�El�Salvador,�Peru,� Chile

• Relations�between�Africans�and�natives�also�occurred�but�not�as� significant�– areas�beyond�effective�control�of�colonial�powers�– frontier�areas�with�free�blacks�and�runͲaway�slaves�– more�often�in� Brazil – Black�Caribs�– Caribs�exiled�from�St.�Vincent�to�Honduran�coast�in�

1796�who�mixed�with�escaped�slaves�– today�called�Garifuna • Widespread�miscegenation�between�Europeans�and�Africans�– 1818�

estimate�of�Brazil’s�population�and�racial�composition�was�500,000� mulatto,�1M�whites,�2M�blacks

Later�Europeans • Other�European�immigrants�came� after�independence – Italians�– largest�group�in�this�period�– 3.5M,�mainly�in�Brazil�and�Argentina�– 1880Ͳ1920�

– Spanish�– to�Argentina�– 200,000�to� 300,000

– Portuguese�– to�Brazil�– 1M�btw�1820Ͳ 1920

– Germans�– 10,000�in�far�south�of�Chile� 1840Ͳ90;�150,000�to�Brazil�southern� forests�1920s;�100,000�to�Argentina

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Asians • Over�500,000�in�last�half�of�19th and�beginning�of�

20th centuries – Chinese�– to�Peru�(mining�guano�1840)� 100,000�in�late�1800s�(integrated�into�society� or�went�back�after�labor�contract);�Cuba�– sugar�workers�– 100,000�to�150,000�

– Japanese�– Peru�in�1870s�and�1880s�(less�than� 100,000�by�20th century�but�distinct�part�of� society);�Brazil�(southern�coffee�plantations)�– Brazilians�of�Japanese�descent�=�1M�in�2000

– Middle�Easterners�– Syria,�Lebanon,�Palestine� (typically�Christians)�– primarily�to�Argentina� and�Colombia�– retail�commerce/traders

– Significant�numbers�of�people�from�South�Asia� and�Java�also�came�as�sugar�workers�in�the� 1800s

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Social�Geography Part�2:�Race�&�Ethnicty

This�map�of�major� languages�(one�marker� of�culture)�gives�some� idea�of�the�diversity�in�

the�region

Slavery�in�the�New�World � Antecedents�of�New�World�slavery�– practice�from�

antiquity;�common�to�most�civilizations�of�the�Old�World�– Greek/Roman/Oman;�30Ͳ40%�of�Italian�Peninsula�at� height�of�Roman�Empire

� Slavery�in�the�New�World�began�with�enslaving�the� indigenous�

� Atlantic�(African)�slave�trade�began�as�a�result�of�the� demographic�collapse�of�the�indigenous

The�Atlantic�Slave�Trade � Portuguese�was�the�first�European�power�to�gain�control�of�points�along�the�

African�coast � Spanish�asiento�was�the�licensing�system�which�contracted�with�British,�

Dutch,�Portuguese,�or�French�to�supply�labor�from�Africa � The�populations�of�Africans�brought�to�the�New�World�were�very�diverse�like�

the�sending�regions�they�were�from;�½�died�on�way�to�coast � West�Africa�(Senegal�&�Gambia),�central�African�coast,�Congo�&�Angola,�

East�Africa�(Mozambique) � About�9M�total�in�Latin�America

The�Atlantic�Slave�Trade � The�Middle�Passage�– the�harsh�

voyage�from�Africa�to�the�New� World�– many�died�from�the� conditions�on�board � Tumbeiros:�“slavers”�or�

“coffin�ships”�were�used�to� transport�the�captives� � Designed�for�maximum� occupancy

� Captives�were�only� brought�above�deck�for� about�one�hour�a�day� during�the�6Ͳ8�week� journey

� Death�Rate�was�roughly�20%� at�the�beginning�of�the�trade� and�8%�towards�the�end

Slavery�in�the�New�World � Circumstances�of�slaves�was�based�on�the�colonial�power�–

Spanish/Portuguese:�guaranteed�rights�based�on�Roman�legal�codes � Right�to�life,�could�not�be�legally�killed � Protection�of�women�&�children�from�their�masters � Right�to�own�personal�property � Right�to�enter�into�personal�contracts � Right�to�purchase�their�personal�freedom

� Catholic�Church�– slaves�possess�immortal�souls;�should�have� Sundays�and�religious�holidays�off

� Manumission�(granting�freedom)�&�other�forms�of�freedom� (purchasing�freedom) � Free�Black�populations�grew�so�that�by�the�end�of�the�colonial�era�

they�outnumber�slaves � Mexico�&�Panama�by�9:1;�Brazil�3:1

Methods�of�Resistance � The�enslaved�protested�their�bondage�in�a�number�of�

ways � Passive—feigning�illness�or�laziness;�sabotaging�crops�

and�property� � Violent—rebellions/revolts�occurred�less�frequently;�

also�took�form�of�suicide � Escape—individual�acts�of�short�duration;�groups�to�

physically�isolated�backlands � Maroon/cimarrones/quilombos�– communities�of� free�blacks/escaped�slaves � NE�Brazil,�British�&�Dutch�Guyana,�Colombia,� Mexico,�Jamaica

� Slavery�was�abolished�in�British�and�French�empires�in� 1830s,�by�midͲ1800s�in�independent�countries,�Brazil�in� 1888� � The�freed�Black�populations�tended�to�relocate�from�

rural�areas�to�urban�areas

“Racial”�Mixing � Miscegenation—racial�mixing�

� Few�women�migrated�to�Americas � Tradition�from�Moorish�Iberia

� Castas—categories�created�to�define� mixed�groups�(meztizo,�mulattos,�etc.) � Race�correlated�to�socioeconomic�

class�in�colonial�era � Became�almost�infinite—lost�

meaning—meant�different�things�to� different�people

Classifying�“Race”

Social�“Races” � Confusion�over�the�infinite�number�of�castas lead�to�the�

construction�of�social�races—determined�by�lifestyle�over�physical� features

� Social�vs.�biological�markers � Occupation,�language,�dress,�diet,�religion

� Made�it�possible�for�people�to�change�their�racial�classification�by� altering�their�lifestyle � EX:�dressing�like�a�European�or�wearing�traditional�indigenous�

dress

Whitening � Physical�“whitening”�or�“bleaching”�of�Latin�American�populations � Population�becoming�more�EuropeanͲlike—declining�numbers�of�

Indigenous�&�Blacks � Fewer�Black�women�than�men;�they�tended�to�marry�later;� miscegenation � Black�men�died�in�military�campaigns�in�Argentina;�Indigenous� were�targeted�in�wars�of�extermination�(“Indian�Wars”) � Blacks:�30%�(early�1800s)�to�1.8%�(1887) � Indigenous:�5%�(1869)�to�0.7%�(1895)

� Social�Darwinism�– theory�that�human�societies�could�be�compared�to� competing�natural�species � Led�to�racist�immigration�policies—encouraging�white�indentured�

and�nonͲindentured�migration� � Argentine�immigration�– btw�1880�and�1930�added�3,225,000�– mostly�from�Italy�(43%)�&�Spain�(34%)

Asian�Populations � Indentured�workers

� 800,000�came�as�contract�laborers�in� sugar�zones�(recall�that�Black�populations� migrated�away�from�rural�areas�after� slavery�is�abolished)

� Chinese�(Peru/Cuba),�South�Asians� (French/English�colonies),�Javanese� (Suriname)

� Terms�of�service � Passage�for�committed�period�of�work�on�

plantation � Generally�low�wages/bad�living�conditions

� After�service � Reenlist,�remain,�return � Less�than�1/3�returned � Became�farmers,�tradesmen,�and�(later)�

whiteͲcollar�professionals

Racism�&�Colonialism � Social�racial�prejudice�vs.�physical�racial�prejudice � Internalized�racism—repudiation�of�culture�&�self�

– “denial�of�the�self” � Identity�politics�– intellectual�and�political�

resistance�to�racism�and�discrimination � Indigenismo�– exaltation�of�indigenaity,�

preservation�of�culture;�antiͲColumbus� campaign�in�1992,�Zapatista�uprising,�MAS� movement�in�Bolivia � ‘To�the�Indian,�the�Spaniard�is�only�a�tenant.��And�we� have�to�hit�him,�complain�about�him�and�tell�him�to� leave,�because�we�are�the�owners�and�we�are�going� to�return.’

� Negritude/PanͲAfricanism— celebrated�Black� culture�and�challenged�notions�of�race� constructed�as�part�of�the�colonial�project�of� domination;�influential�in�antiͲcolonial,� nationalist�struggles