Vocabulary
What is the Spanish term for the native plant from Latin America that was one of the mainstays of the Mayan civilization?
Maize
What was the first civilization in Latin America?
the Olmecs
In what era did the Spanish conquistadors begin conquering Native populations in Latin America?
late 1400's - early 1500's
Which European country was going through a time of revolution in the 1700s that inspired the Haitians?
France
What is the dominant religion of Latin America?
Catholicism
Early civilizations in Latin America did well if they controlled the trade of these important mineral resources (name both!).
Jade and Obsidian
Which early Latin American civilization (AD 300-900) relied heavily on their study of astronomy and used that to develop the first calendar system in the hemisphere?
the Mayans
What resources were the Spanish hoping to find in the New World?
gold, silver, and land (empire)
Who led the Haitians to independence on the island of Hispaniola in 1804?
Toussaint Louverture
Which island nation became independent following the Spanish-American War of 1898?
Cuba
What did Mayans use to record their history?
hieroglyphics
The ______________ took over the obsidian trade after the Mayans disappeared, but they didn't come to prominence or last very long because they were conquered by the _______________.
Toltecs, Aztecs
Who conquered the Aztecs in their capital of Tenochtitlan?
Hernan Cortes and his Spanish forces
Miguel Hidalgo and/or Jose Maria Morelos
What ruler came to power in Cuba in the late 1950's?
Fidel Castro
Colonizers used Native Americans to grow these for export.
cash crops
Where did the Aztecs establish themselves?
south central Mexico
Who conquered the Inca in 1532?
Francisco Pizarro
Which military leader helped gain independence for northern South America in 1819?
Simon Bolivar
What holy season follows the celebration of Carnival?
Lent
These leaders were supported by the upper classes and did nothing to help landless workers throughout Latin America after independence.
Caudillos
What were 3 things that the Inca of Peru built to survive life in the Andes Mountains?
irrigation systems, roads, and suspension bridges
set up colonies, spread Christianity, spread disease/native and/or forced Native Americans to grow cash crops
______________ was a soldier who helped free southern South America from Spanish rule by sneaking his forces through the _____________ mountains to surprise the Spanish and eventually joining with ______________'s forces to free Peru.
Jose San Martin, Andes, Simon Bolivar
_______________ is the main language of most of Latin America, followed by ______________ of Brazil and _________________ of Peru and Bolivia.
Spanish, Portuguese, and Quechua