Brief History of Bolivia

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Bolivia, a country rich in history and natural beauty has a long storied past. Named after independence fighter Simon Bolivar, Bolivia broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. However, Bolivia’s history goes much deeper. To understand Bolivia we must travel back in time to its origins.
Bolivia traces its roots back around 21,000 years when it was part of the culture of Andean South America. Around 600 B.C. the Andean empire emerged on a high plateau between the Altiplano Mountains. This empire, known as the Tiwanakan, was located on the southeastern side of Lake Titicaca. Tiwanaku was a major center of trade and religion, and its culture spread far beyond what is now present day Bolivia. The Tiwanaku were not a violent culture. To expand its reach, Tiwanaku relied more on political colonization than through conquest. During this time, agriculture was a major source of power. Elites gained control over the population through their control of excess food that the empire produced. The growth of the empire continued at a staggering rate until around 950 A.D. when a massive drought hit the area. As the drought persisted on, the surrounding cities began to dry up and the elites began to lose control as their food reserves dwindled. Around 1000 A.D. the Tiwanaku ceased to exist and the land remained uninhabitable for many centuries thereafter. Around 1438, the Inca Empire expanded its reach into what was once the Tiwanaku however, its quest for massive expansion would prove too great for them and they would fail.
History: Spanish Rule
Francisco Pizarro, Diego de Almagro, and Hernando de Luque led the Spanish discovery and conquest of the Inca Empire (Hudson and Hanratty Page 7). After many years of Incan conquest, the empir...

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...program. This program essentially alienated the labor movement. He also worked to rebuild the military and introduce educational reforms. His policies however were unpopular and Siles Zuazo lost his bid for reelection in 1960. In 1964, the military returned to power and forced Siles Zuazo into exile.

Works Cited

Hudson, Rex A., and Hanratty, Dennis M., Ed. Bolivia a country study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. 1989. Print.
Infoplease. “Bolivia”. http://www.infoplease.com/country/bolivia.html?pageno=2
Nieves, Angelica T. “The Indigenous Movement and the Struggle for Political Representation in Bolivia”. University of South Florida. January 1, 2012 http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5379&context=etd
Sparks, Karen - Contributor. Hernan Siles Zuazo. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/544094/Hernan-Siles-Zuazo

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