The Impact Of Colonialism In Latin America

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Scholars have debated not only the nature of Iberian colonialism, but also the impact that independence had on the people of Latin America. Historian Jaime E. Rodriguez said that, “The emancipation of [Latin America] did not merely consist of separation from the mother country, as in the case of the United States. It also destroyed a vast and responsive social, political, and economic system that functioned well despite many imperfections.” I believe that when independence emerged in Latin America, it was a positive force. However, as time progressed, it indeed does cause conflict. During Colonial times, there were considerably high instances of racism, slavery, and sexism. However, these elements of daily life were never questioned, just …show more content…

Due to this, Latin American economies were faced with various struggles. In consequence of war, shafts of mines were flooded and costly machinery was wrecked. Colonial Latin America produced a lot of the silver in world circulation, but their region ran short of capital after achieving independence. They also had no governing institution. Therefore, understaffed governments found it hard to collect taxes. Latin American states relied heavily on import and export tariffs, which led to borrowing money and defaulting. The Church-state conflicts cause a political divide among Spanish-Americans, Liberals and Conservatives. The church represented colonial traditions in general. Liberals believed in freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. Whereas, Conservatives wanted Catholicism to continue as the official religion. This issue became the chief test in distinguishing liberal from conservative cultural …show more content…

“A formal public commitment to legal racial equality, for example, had been the price of mass support for Latin American’s independence movements. In the generation following independence, the various mixed-race classifications typical of the caste system were optimistically banished from census forms and parish record keeping.” This was meant to make all slaves citizens, equal to all other citizens. Slavery receded in Latin America, except in non-republican Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. However, Brazil’s pursuit of independence was the least violent and provoked the least amount of change. The case of Brazil suggests that retention of colonial institutions such as monarchies lent to stability. “Brazil had retained a European dynasty; a nobility of dukes, counts, and barons sporting coats of arms; a tight relationship between church and state; and a full commitment to the institution of chattel slavery, in which some people worked others to death.” Reflecting back on the statement historian Jaime E. Rodriguez gave on the impact that independence had on the people of Latin America. “The emancipation of [Latin America] did not merely consist of separation from the mother country, as in the case of the United States. It also destroyed a vast and responsive social, political, and economic system that functioned well despite many imperfections.” I believe that the eagerness to get rid of slaves

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