Latin America Vocabulary Flashcard
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peninsulares
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members of the highest social class who dominated Latin American political and social life
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creoles
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the European-descended Latin Americans who owned the haciendas, ranches, and mines and who bitterly resented their second-class status
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mestizos
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people of Native American and European descent who were angry at being denied the status, wealth, and power that were available to the whites
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mulattoes
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people of African and European descent who were angry at being denied the status, wealth, and power that were available to the whites
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Simon Bolivar
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During the French Revolution, this creole traveled in Europe and was inspired by the ideals of "liberty, equality, and fraternity." He eventually led an uprising that established a republic in his native Venezuela.
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Toussaint L'Ouverture
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He was a self-educated former slave who led Haiti's revolts for independence starting in 1791.
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Jose de San Martin
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He was a creole who helped Argentina win freedom from Spain and who also joined the independence struggle in other areas. He eventually turned his command over to Bolivar.
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Dom Pedro
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He became the emperor of an independent Brazil and accepted a constitution that provided freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and an elected legislature.
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regionalism
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loyalty to a local area that weakened the new nations of Latin America
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caudillos
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local strongmen who assembled private armies to resist the central government
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Monroe Doctrine
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American President James Monroe wrote this document, which stated that "[t]he American continents are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers."
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Panama Canal
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This construction project was built in Panama and it cut the distance of a sea journey between the east coast of the US and the west coast of the US by more than half. This project was an engineering marvel that boosted trade and shipping worldwide.
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economic nationalism
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emphasis on home control of the economy
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cultural nationalism
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pride in one's own culture
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Good Neighbor Policy
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American President Franklin Roosevelt wrote this policy, in which the United States pledged to lessen its interference in the affairs of Latin American nations. The United States withdrew troops stationed in Haiti and Nicaragua and it lifted the Platt Amendment.
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import substitution
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manufacturing goods locally to replace imports
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agribusinesses
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giant commercial farms owned by multinational corporations
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liberation theology
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this movement urged the church to become a force for reform
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indigenous
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native people
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Sandinistas
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socialist rebels in Nicaragua that toppled the ruling Somoza family, introduced land reform, and tried to redistribute wealth to the country's poor
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contras
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guerrillas who fought the Sandinistas and who were supported financially by the US
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Organization of American States (OAS)
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a group formed in 1948 to promote democracy, economic cooperation, and peace in the Americas
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superpowers
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nations stronger than other powerful nations
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Fidel Castro
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He organized an armed rebellion against the corrupt dictator who then ruled Cuba. He led his guerrilla army to victory.
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John F. Kennedy
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He supported the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
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Bay of Pigs
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This was an invasion attempt of Cuba by US-trained Cuban exiles, which ended in a crushing defeat for the US.
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conservatives
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defended the traditional social order, favored press censorship, and strongly supported the Catholic Church
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liberals
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backed laissez-faire economics, religious toleration, greater access to education, and freedom of the press
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Cuban Revolution
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Fidel Castro's efforts to transform Cuba.
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Oscar Romero
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He spoke out against poverty, social injustice, assassinations, and torture in El Salvador.
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Platt Amendment
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This document stated that the US could have naval bases in Cuba and could intervene in Cuban affairs, thereby limiting Cuban independence.
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shantytowns
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clustered communities of people that have houses made out of scrap metal and wood
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US intervention in Latin America during the Cold War
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The US has long loomed over Latin America because it saw itself as a defender of democracy and provider of aid. The US backed anti-communist dictators in Latin America and intervened in Guatemala, Chile, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to prevent the spread of communism and to protect US interest.
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US intervention in Latin America in the early 1900's
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The US claimed international police power in the Western Hemisphere in writing the Roosevelt Corollary. To protect investments in Latin America, the US often sent troops to the region. The US backed a revolt in Panama to gain control of enough land to build the Panama Canal. Foreign investors, including the US, controlled many of the natural resources of Latin America.
