Pre-Colonial Latin America
Q1: Who was Pablo Neruda?
Pablo Neruda was a Latin American poet who wrote about the sights of Machu Picchu.
Q2: What is Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu was one of the centres of ancient South American civilisations.
Q3: What does Pablo Neruda's poem tell us about ancient Latin American civilisations?
From his poem, we learn that ancient Latin Americans had:
- An abundance of resources
- Cultivated maize (corn)
- Reared sheep
- Acquired wealth through trade
European Colonization
Q4: Which European countries colonised Latin America?
The Spanish and Portuguese colonised Latin America.
Q5: Why did Spain and Portugal colonise Latin America?
They colonised Latin America to exploit the economic richness that existed there.
Impact of Colonial Rule on Native Life
Q6: How did colonisation affect the culture of native Latin Americans?
The Spanish and Portuguese:
- Propagated their language, religions and customs
- Built houses and churches in Spanish style
- Established several schools for imparting the Spanish system of education
Q7: How did farming change under colonial rule?
The Spanish farming methods and crops were introduced to replace local practices.
Q8: What health problems did colonisation cause?
New diseases spread from Europeans to Latin Americans.
Q9: How were native people treated by the colonisers?
The colonisers:
- Enforced racial discrimination towards the natives in all walks of life
- Looted the resources and wealth of the Latin American people
- Enslaved the natives to work
Independence Movements
Q10: Who were the main leaders of Latin American independence?
The main independence leaders were:
- Jose de San Martin
- Francisco Miranda
- Simon Bolivar
Q11: What did these leaders do?
These leaders led revolutions that helped Latin American countries become independent.
Q12: What was the result of these independence movements?
The revolutions led by these leaders resulted in Latin American countries gaining their independence from Spanish and Portuguese rule.
Key Terms
- Abundance: Having plenty of something
- Cultivated: Grew crops through farming
- Reared: Raised animals
- Exploit: To use something for profit, often unfairly
- Propagated: Spread or promoted
- Racial discrimination: Unfair treatment based on race
- Enslaved: Forced to work without pay
- Revolution: A fight to change the government