Indigenous Peoples & Colonization
What were the three types of Indigenous societies mentioned in the book?
Sedentary, semisedentary, nonsedentary.
What was the primary cash crop grown in colonial Brazil?
Sugarcane
Who was Bartolomé de Las Casas?
A Dominican friar who advocated for the rights of Indigenous peoples
What term describes the blending of cultures that occurred between Europeans, Africans, and Indigenous peoples?
Transculturation
What is the definition of "hegemony" as it applied to Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule?
Hegemony refers to a form of control where the dominant power secures consent from the subordinate groups, making them accept their position in society as natural or inevitable.
Which empire did Hernán Cortés conquer in 1521?
The Aztec Empire.
What is the name of the forced labor system where Indigenous people were "entrusted" to Spanish colonists?
Encomienda.
What is the concept of hegemony as described in colonial Latin America?
A form of rule where the dominated classes accept the system as natural, securing the control of colonial rulers.
What is the significance of the African influence in colonial Latin America, especially in Brazil?
African culture significantly influenced Latin American music, religion, and food, especially in regions with large enslaved populations like Brazil.
How did the Catholic Church reinforce hegemony in colonial Latin America?
he Church played a central role by promoting religious conversion, establishing schools, and enforcing moral and social norms that aligned with the interests of the colonial elite, ensuring social stability and obedience.
Name the agricultural method used by the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan to sustain their city.
Chinampas (floating gardens).
What precious metal drove the Spanish colonial economy, particularly in places like Potosí?
Silver
Which Portuguese explorer is credited with claiming Brazil for Portugal in 1500?
Pedro Álvares Cabral.
In what way did the caste system serve as a hegemonic tool in colonial Latin America?
The caste system imposed rigid social hierarchies based on race and ethnicity, ensuring that European-descended elites remained at the top, while Indigenous and African populations were kept in subservient positions, reinforcing social control.
Which Indigenous empire was based in the Andes and had its capital in Cuzco?
The Inca Empire.
Why did the colonists start importing African slaves to work on plantations?
Indigenous populations declined due to disease, and African slaves were seen as a more stable labor source.
What role did Friar Bartolomé de Las Casas play in the Spanish colonial period?
He initially supported colonization but became a major advocate for the protection of Indigenous peoples and criticized Spanish abuses.
How did Indigenous peoples in semisedentary societies, like the Tupis in Brazil, adapt to the environment?
They practiced shifting agriculture and moved frequently to sustain their populations.
How did Spanish and Portuguese colonists use education as a hegemonic force in their colonies?
Education, largely controlled by the Catholic Church, was used to indoctrinate Indigenous and mixed-race populations into accepting European cultural, religious, and social values, thus reinforcing colonial authority and the legitimacy of the colonial social order.
How did the Spanish justify their conquest and colonization of Indigenous peoples?
They used religious justification, claiming it was their divine right to spread Christianity and civilization.
Name the two regions in the Americas that became the largest destinations for African slaves.
Brazil and the Caribbean.
Define "transculturation" and its significance in colonial Latin America.
Transculturation refers to the blending of Indigenous, African, and European cultures, resulting in unique social and cultural developments in Latin America.
How did transculturation shape the development of colonial cities in Latin America?
Answer: Colonial cities became centers where Indigenous, African, and European customs mixed, creating distinct Latin American cultures, especially in music, language, and religion.
Explain how hegemony was maintained through language in the Spanish and Portuguese empires.
Spanish and Portuguese were imposed as the official languages, displacing Indigenous languages and cultures. This linguistic dominance helped cement the cultural superiority of Europeans and facilitated the spread of European laws, religion, and customs, reinforcing colonial power.