History of South America

South America has a history that spans the full range of human cultural and civilizational forms. While millennia of independent development were interrupted by the Spanish and Portuguese colonization drive of the late 15th century and the demographic collapse that followed, the continent's mestizo and indigenous cultures remain quite distinct from those of their colonizers. Through the trans-Atlantic slave trade, South America (especially Brazil) became the home of millions of people in the African diaspora. The mixing of races led to new social structures. The tensions between colonial countries in Europe, indigenous peoples and escaped slaves shaped South America from the 16th through the 19th Centuries. With the revolution for independence from Spanish crown during the 19th century, South America underwent another social and political change that lasted until the early 1900's.

[Site] HowStuffWorks "History of South America"
The History of South America is a fascinating topic. ... Introduction to History of South America. European Discovery and Conquest. The Colonial Period ...
history.howstuffworks.com/.../history-of-south-america.htm

Pre-Columbian era

The rise of agriculture and domestication of animals

South America is thought to have been first inhabited by people crossing the Bering Land Bridge from Asia, which is now the Bering Strait. Over the course of millennia, people spread to all parts of the continent.

[News] New York's Lower East Side a place where history and hipsters intertwine
NEW YORK - For waves of immigrants to America, the Lower East Side was a place of first settlement. Today it's one of the city's trendiest neighbourhoods but it's still easy to find history amid the hipsters.

The first evidence for the existence of agricultural practices in South America dates back to circa 6500 BCE, when potatoes, chilies and beans began to be cultivated for food in the Amazon Basin. Pottery evidence further suggests that manioc, which remains a staple foodstuff today, was being cultivated as early as 2000 BCE.O'Brien, Patrick. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp. 25

[Image]
Small, Clay Supported Spindles from South America; Week Long Drop Spindle Wool Spinning and Off-Loom Weaving Class

South American cultures began domesticating llamas and alpacas in the highlands of the Andes circa 3500 BCE. These animals were used for both transportation and meat.O'Brien, Patrick. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp. 25 Guinea pigs were also domesticated as a food source at this time.Diamond, Jared. "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies." New York: Norton, 1999 pp.100

[Video] Fred Thompson: Statement 12/05/08

By 2000 BCE, many agrarian village communities had been settled throughout the Andes and the surrounding regions. Fishing became a widespread practice along the coast which helped to establish fish as a primary source of food. Irrigation systems were also developed at this time, which aided in the rise of an agrarian society.O'Brien, Patrick. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp. 25 The food crops of this time were quinoa, corn, the lima bean, the common bean, peanuts, manioc, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes oca and squashes.Diamond, Jared. "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies." New York: Norton, 1999 (pp. 126-127) Cotton was also grown and was particularly important as the only major fiber crop.O'Brien, Patrick. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp. 25

[Auction] 1797 HISTORY of SOUTH & NORTH AMERICA Indians COLONIES
Only $49.99

The earliest permanent settlement as proved by ceramic dating, dates to 3500 BC by the Valdivia on the Coast of Ecuador. Other groups also formed permanent settlements. Among those groups were the Chibchas (or "Muiscas" or "Muyscas") and the Tairona, of Colombia, the cañari of Ecuador, the Quechuas of Peru, and the Aymaras of Bolivia were the 3 most important sedentary Indian groups in South America. In the last two thousand years there may have been contact with Polynesians across the South Pacific Ocean, as shown by the spread of the sweet potato through some areas of the Pacific, but there is no genetic legacy of human contact.Howe, Kerry R., The Quest for Origins, Penguin Books, 2003, ISBN 0-14-301857-4, pp 81, 129

[Post] HALLOWE'EN QUIZ
Question 6: Where are vampire bats really from? A: Eastern Europe B: Lower Asia C: Central and South America D: North America Question 7: What ancient civilization started the tradition of bobbing for apples? A: The Romans B: The Greeks ...

Cañaris

The Cañaris were the indigenous natives of today's Ecuadorian provinces of Cañar and Azuay. They were an elaborate civilization with advanced architecture, and religious belief. Most of their remains were either burned or destroyed from attacks by the Inca and later the Spaniards. Their old city was replaced twice, first by the Incan city of Tomipamba, and later by the Colonial city of Cuenca. The city was also believed to be the site of El Dorado, the city of gold from the mythology of Colombia. (see Cuenca) The Cañaris were most notable to have repelled the Incan invasion with fierce resistance for many years until they fell to Tupac Yupanqui. Many of their descendants are still present in Cañar with a reasonable amount not having mixed, and reserved from becoming Mestizos.

[Book] A History Of South America: 1854-1904 (1904) Kessinger Publishing, LLC

Caral Supe Civilization

The Caral Supe Civilization is among the oldest civilizations in the Americas, going back to 27th century BCE. See Caral. It is noteworthy for having absolutely no signs of warfare. It was contemporary with urbanism's rise in Mesopotamia.

[Site] SOUTH AMERICA,
Mysteries of History. Political & Historical Figures. Science & Technology. The States ... The coastline of South America is relatively regular except in the ...
www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=222746

Norte Chico

On the north-central coast of present-day Peru, the Norte Chico civilization emerged around the time of Caral-Supe Civilization.

[News] America East Conference
America East Conference-Around the American East

Chibchas

The Chibcha linguistic communities were the most numerous, the most territorially extended and the most socio-economically developed of the Pre-Hispanic Colombian cultures. By the 3rd century CE, the Chibchas had established their civilization in the northern Andes. At one point, the Chibchas occupied part of what is now Panama, and the high plains of the Eastern Sierra of Colombia. The areas that they occupied were the Departments of Santander (North and South), Boyacá and Cundinamarca, which were also the areas where the first farms and first industries were developed, and where the independence movement originated. They are currently the richest areas in Colombia. They represented the most populous zone between the Mexican and Inca empires. Next to the Quechua of Peru and the Aymara in Bolivia, the Chibchas of the eastern and north-eastern Highlands of Colombia were the most striking of the sedentary indigenous peoples in South America.

[Image]
Barrancas donde se situo la primera estancia entrerriana de la mano de Juan de Garay junto a la historica quot;laguna de los patos quot; que era el punto de encuentros de las campañas de la conquista. This coasts was the first place choosing for the spanish conquistators to establish your ranchs together to quot;the lake of ducks quot; where joining your campaings.

In the Oriental Andes, the Chibchas were composed of several tribes, who spoke the same language (Chibchan). Among them: Muiscas, Guanes, Laches and Chitareros.

[Video] Gory & Graphic Documentary on Korean War – Racist ...

Amazon

Some 5 to 7 million people lived in the Amazon region, divided between dense coastal settlements, such as that at Marajó, and inland dwellers. For a long time, it was believed that those inland dwellers were sparsely populated hunter-gatherer tribes. Archeologist Betty J. Meggers was a prominent proponent of this idea, as described in her book Amazonia: Man and Culture in a Counterfeit Paradise. However, recent archeological findings have suggested that the region was actually densely populated.

One of the main pieces of evidence is the existence of the fertile Terra preta (black earth), which is distributed over large areas in the Amazon forest. It is now widely accepted that these soils are a product of indigenous soil management. The development of this soil allowed agriculture and silviculture in the previously hostile environment; meaning that large portions of the Amazon rainforest are, rather than naturally occurring as has previously been supposed, probably the result of centuries of human management. The influence of human alteration has been generally underestimated, reports Darna L. Dufour: “Much of what has been considered natural forest in Amazonia is probably the result of hundreds of years of human use and management.” “Use of Tropical Rainforests by Native Amazonians,” BioScience 40, no. 9 (October 1990):658. For an example of how such peoples integrated planting into their nomadic lifestyles, see Rival, Laura, 1993. "The Growth of Family Trees: Understanding Huaorani Perceptions of the Forest," Man 28(4):635-652. In the region of the Xinguanos tribe, remains of some of these large settlements in the middle of the Amazon forest were found in 2003 by Michael Heckenberger and colleages of the University of Florida. Among those were evidence of roads, bridges and large plazas. {{Citation

| last=Heckenberger
| first=M.J.
| publication-date=2003
| date=19 September 2003
| year=2003
| title= "Amazonia 1492: Pristine Forest or Cultural Parkland?"
| periodical=Science
| volume=301
| issue=5640
| pages=1710-14

}}

[Post] Los Angeles museum showcases Latin food history
Described in promotional materials as “an historic excursion into the heart of South America, Mexico, Spain and the Southwestern United States, via the taste buds - presenting art good enough to eat,” the museum was founded by John ...

Chavín

The Chavín, a South American preliterate civilization, established a trade network and developed agriculture by 900 BCE, according to some estimates and archeological finds. Artifacts were found at a site called Chavín in modern Peru at an elevation of 3,177 meters. Chavín civilization spanned 900 to 300 BCE.

[Book] The History Of South America: Containing The Discoveries Of Columbus, The Conquest Of Mexico And Peru And Other Transactions Of The Spanish In The New World (1789) Kessinger Publishing, LLC

Moche

The Moche thrived on the north coast of Peru 2000-1500 years ago. The heritage of the Moche comes down to us through their elaborate burials, recently excavated by UCLA's Christopher Donnan in association with the National Geographic Society.Skilled artisans, the Moche were a technologically advanced people who traded with faraway peoples, like the Maya. Almost everything we know about the Moche comes from their ceramic pottery with carvings of their daily lives. We know from these records that they practiced human sacrifice, had blood-drinking rituals, and that their religion incorporated non-procreative sexual practices (such as fellatio).

[Site] Howstuffworks "Central and South American History"
... South American History provides facts about the history of Central and South America. ... History of South America. Diego De Almagro. History of Nicaragua ...
history.howstuffworks.com/central-and-south-american-history.htm

Inca

Main article: Incas

[News] Democratic uncertainty before elections in America and Ukraine
The 2008 U.S. presidential-election campaign has been watched with much anticipation, both at home and abroad. There’s a woman vice president on the Republican ticket, and an African-American being fielded by the Democrats for the nation’s top job. Whichever party wins, history will be made.

Holding their capital at the great puma-shaped city of Cusco, the Inca civilization dominated the Andes region from 1438 to 1533. Known as Tawantin suyu, or "the land of the four regions," in Quechua, the Inca civilization was highly distinct and developed. Inca rule extended to nearly a hundred linguistic or ethnic communities, some 9 to 14 million people connected by a 25,000 kilometer road system. Cities were built with precise, unmatched stonework, constructed over many levels of mountain terrain. Terrace farming was a useful form of agriculture. There is evidence of excellent metalwork and even successful brain surgery in Inca civilization.

[Image]
Machu Picchu as the last of the morning fog burns off

European colonization

Before the arrival of Europeans, an estimated 30 million people lived in South America.

[Video] Jazz Singer Kristina Austin Scarcelli Performing "Christmas Star"

In 1493, the papal bull Inter caetera was the third of a series that paved the way for the European colonization and Catholic mission in the New World, authorizing to take possession of non-Christian lands, and encouraging the enslavement of the non-Christian people of Africa and the Americas.David A. Love, Pope Bendedict Argues Catholic Church 'Purified' Indigenous Peoples posted on AlterNet June 18, 2007

In 1494, Portugal and Spain, the two great maritime powers of that time, on the expectation of new lands being discovered in the west, signed the Treaty of Tordesilhas, by which they agreed that all the land outside Europe should be an exclusive duopoly between the two countries. The Treaty established an imaginary line along a north-south meridian 370 leagues west of Cape Verde Islands, roughly 46° 37' W. In terms of the treaty, all land to the west of the line (which is now known to include most of the South American soil), would belong to Spain, and all land to the east, to Portugal. As accurate measurements of longitude were impossible by that time, the line was not strictly enforced, resulting in a Portuguese expansion of Brazil across the meridian.

[Post] MY PROPHECY - The Federal Reserve Will End! A Money Matrix Addendum
South America. Most countries of Africa. South Africa would benefit most. Even the United States would greatly benefit because it is the No. 3 producer of gold. There could be a renaissance of mining generally, with all the beneficial ...

Beginning in the 1530s, the people and natural resources of South America were repeatedly exploited by foreign conquistadors, first from Spain and later from Portugal. These competing colonial nations claimed the land and resources as their own and divided it into colonies.

[Book] Struggle for a Continent: The Diplomatic History of South America, 1917-1945 New York University Press

European diseases (smallpox, influenza, measles and typhus) to which the native populations had no resistance and cruel systems of forced labor (such as the infamous encomiendas and mining industry's mita) decimated the American population under Spanish control. Following this, African slaves, who had developed immunity to these diseases, were quickly brought in to replace them.

[Site] History of South America - Freepedia
History of South America. From Freepedia ... Before the arrival of Europeans, an estimated 30 million people lived in South America. ...
en.freepedia.org/History_of_South_America.html

The Spaniards were committed to converting their American subjects to Christianity and were quick to purge any native cultural practices that hindered this end. However, most initial attempts at this were only partially successful, as American groups simply blended Catholicism with their traditional beliefs. The Spaniards did not impose their language to the degree they did their religion. In fact, the missionary work of the Roman Catholic Church in Quechua, Nahuatl, and Guarani actually contributed to the expansion of these American languages, equipping them with writing systems.

[News] Historic Old Wethersfield: History with your holidays
A little history with your holidays is a promise in Old Wethersfield, the oldest — and most gloriously preserved — part of this old town.

Eventually the natives and the Spaniards interbred, forming a Mestizo class. Mestizos and the native Americans were often forced to pay unfair taxes to the Spanish government and were punished harshly for disobeying their laws. Many native artworks were considered pagan idols and destroyed by Spanish explorers. This included a great number gold and silver sculptures, which were melted down before transport to Europe.

[Image]

Independence

The Spanish colonies won their independence in the first quarter of the 19th century, in the South American Wars of Independence. Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín led their independence struggle. Although Bolivar attempted to keep the Spanish-speaking parts of the continent politically unified, they rapidly became independent of one another as well, and several further wars were fought, such as the War of the Triple Alliance and the War of the Pacific. In the Portuguese colony Dom Pedro I (also Pedro IV of Portugal), son of the Portuguese king Dom João VI, proclaimed the country's independence in 1822 and became Brazil's first Emperor. This was peacefully accepted by the crown in Portugal, upon compensation.

[Video] AHFI Historical Backround #2

A few countries did not gain independence until the 20th century:

Panama, from Colombia, in 1903
Guyana, from the United Kingdom, in 1966.
Suriname, from the Dutch control, in 1975
Trinidad and Tobago, from the United Kingdom, in 1962

French Guiana remains an overseas département of France.

[Post] The Final Day of Sabbatical
I had enjoyed many different movies set in South America and I had a vague sense of the history of the region. But I never had a strong attraction or desire to visit. There were always so many other more exotic, more interesting places ...

Recent history

The continent, like many others, became a battlefield of the Cold War in the late 20th century. In the 1960s and 1970s, the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay were overthrown or displaced by U.S.-aligned military dictatorships. These dictatorships detained tens of thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were tortured and/or killed (on inter-state collaboration, see Operation Condor). Economically, they began a transition to neoliberal economic policies. They placed their own actions within the U.S. Cold War doctrine of "National Security" against internal subversion. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Peru suffered from an internal conflict (see Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and Shining Path). Revolutionary movements and right-wing military dictatorships have been common, but starting in the 1980s a wave of democratization came through the continent, and democratic rule is widespread now. Allegations of corruption remain common, and several nations have seen crises which have forced the resignation of their presidents, although normal civilian succession has continued.

[Book] A history of South America: New ed. with additional chapters bringing the work up to 1930, Murray

International indebtedness became a notable problem, as most recently illustrated by Argentina's default in the early 21st century.

[Site] Veropedia - South America
South America has an area of 17,840,000 square kilometres (6,890,000 sq mi), or ... History of the Americas. Union of South American Nations. Economy of South America ...
www.veropedia.com/a/South_America

In recent years South American governments have drifted to the left, with socialist leaders being elected in Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, and a leftist president in Argentina and Uruguay. Despite the move to the left, South America is still largely capitalist.

[News] Sailing challengers call on U.S. team to drop America's Cup lawsuit
GENEVA -- Eleven challengers for the America's Cup today called on American syndicate BMW Oracle Racing to drop its legal fight against cup holder Alinghi.

With the founding of the Union of South American Nations, South America has started down the road of economic integration, with plans for political integration in the European Union style.

[Image]
Inner hall of Toledo's Cathedral in Spain, walking inside is like having an history class...

Notes

[Video] Korean History-Cultural Plagiarism! Evidence!

[Post] Butler Plantation.....American History in the making
Major Pierce Butler (the third son of an Irish baronet) came to America and married Mary Middleton of South Carolina. Butler's sell of his military commission was used to purchase several plantations in South Georgia including Butler ...

[Book] History of South America from the first human existence to the present time Central Pub. House

[Site] History of South America
Enhance your knowledge of South America to enrich ... History and Traditions of South America ... written about the history and traditions of South America. ...
gosouthamerica.about.com/od/history/History_of_South_America.htm

[News] Obama-mania in Montreal
Until now, the history of the black civil rights movement in North America has been largely that - history.

[Image]
Machu Picchu on a beautiful sun filled morning

[Video] Part 2 Indigenous Native American Indian 2009 Free Event

[Post] Day 12: Johannesburg
But we went to tour the mine and learn more about the history of South Africa than ride the rides…and time didn’t allow us both. Curtis was disspointed, but a great sport about it. In the end, I think he really liked it and I don’t ...

[Book] STRUGGLE FOR A CONTINENT: A Diplomatic History of South America 1919-45. NY Univ: 1972 1st ed. 213p.

[Site] History of South America
... and colonial rule in South America. ... History of South America. Pre-Colombian ... Spanish and Portuguese conquest of South America was both rapid and ...
www.travelsouth-america.com/history.html

[News] A Solitary Sense of History
Stirred by purpose, mother sometimes feels like an outsider among Obama's youthful volunteers.

[Image]
More gruesome artifacts of the slave trade........ This exhibit was extremely emotional.

[Video] The Truth about the Jonestown Murder

[Post] Tracking Paleo Forests Through PhytoGenetics
About 15 to 18 million years ago, deposits of fossil pollen suggest, Symphonia suddenly appeared in South America and then in Central America. Unlike kapok, a tropical tree with a similar distribution that Dick also has studied, ...

[Book] HISTORY OF SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO; Comprising Their Discovery, Geography, Politics, Commerce and Revolutions. To Which is Added A Geographical and Historical View of Texas, with a Detailed Account of the Texian Revolution and War (2 Vols in 1) H. Huntington

[Site] Super Sites - South America
South America. List of Nations. Government Economy Reports Resources Education History News ... A Primer of South American Military History ...
www.meatnpotatoes.com/southamerica.html

[News] ‘Freedom Riders’ recount experiences
NEW HAVEN — Three "Freedom Riders" who helped desegregate the South recounted their dramatic experience Wednesday, noting how it shaped their lives and changed America.

[Image]
The beautiful terraced ruins of Pisac on day 1 of the Inca trail hike

[Video] MBUNDO by Romero Jorge Rodriguez

[Post] History podcast of the day
His name was Simón Bolívar and over the next 30 years he made good on his promise, so much so that his name is synonymous with the removal of Spanish rule from South America. He has become more icon than man, a romantic hero and ...

[Book] American History: Containing Belknap's Biographies of the Early Discoverers; Robertson's History of South America; Graham's History of North America, and the North American Colonies; Ramsey's History of the Untied States, Continued to the Present... Leavitt & Allen

[News] History en espanol(TM) Joins DIRECTV Mas(R)
DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV), the nation's leading satellite television service provider, has launched History en espanol(TM) on DIRECTV Mas, DIRECTV's Spanish and English-language programming service. History en espanol(TM) combines programming from the U.S. and Latin America highlighting Hispanic culture in Spanish, 24-hours a day.

[Image]
A World 2010.jpg 19-Nov-2000 13:38 72K A bigamist's.jpg 11-Aug-2000 10:51 44K Across South America.jpg 01-Dec-2000 13:11 41K African Religions.jpg 08-Aug-2000 13:15 57K

[Video] Republican: A History Lesson About War

[Post] Erasing the Afrikaner nation
“You have books appearing that interpret the history of South Africa only according to the perspective of the liberation struggle,” avers Pieter Kapp, a retired professor of history at Stellenbosch University. ...

[Book] The History of South America. From Its Discovery to the Present Time . Compiled From The Works of the Best Authors and From Authentic Documents, Many Hitherto Unpublished, In Various Archives & Public & Private Libraries in America & Spain Swann Sonnenschein & Co

[News] THE MIRROR: Seven Cougars that have changed my life for the better
Wikipedia defines a "cougar" as, "a mammal of the Felidae family, native to the Americas. This large, solitary cat has the greatest range of any wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, extending from Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes of South America. An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in every major American habitat type."

[Image]
Patallacta was a farming center located near the start of the Inca trail. Hiking the trail gives you an excellent vantage point to view the terraced structure from guard houses that sit overlooking the structure.

[Video] Iwalani School of Dance - Tahiti Greetings

[Post] Photo Opportunities Abound in Brazil
Posted in Art Tours, Brazil Tours, Cable Car Tours, Helicopter Tours, history tours, Sightseeing, South America Tours, Things To Do, Transportation, Travel, walking tours Tagged: Art, bicycle tour, botanical gardens, brazil, cable cars, ...