Latin America Dbq Analysis

The Latin American countries, in the period of 1875 to 1950, dealt with many communal and political concerns regarding a profusion of issues. These problems included the fight for independence, the rights of women, political stability, slavery, differences in ideological views, and gender inequality within countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Bolivia, and Mexico. As conflicts pursued, civility began to cease and civil wars broke out. The countries of Latin America also ultimately suffered due to setbacks on international life. As a result, relations with the outside world became difficult and complications persisted. During the 19th century, Latin American leaders, similar to earlier Western political personalities, shared the firm belief
The Latin American countries were also hindered by economic matters. The countries mostly affected by economic transformations include Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and Mexico. In Brazil, economic changes began to take place once coffee began to become exported, and by 1860, it became Brazil’s largest import crop. As presented in Document 5, the fazendas, or coffee estates, required much labor and cost to produce and preserve. Most of Brazil’s population was enslaved, and so the workers confined themselves to living an ‘isolated’ life dedicated to the fazendas. They had “no illusions of independence”, although the writer of Document 5 makes it seem as their job was not as dreadful as it was made out to be. In Mexico, haciendas, or large estates, primarily made up the land system. As described in Document 6, the haciendas included “all the customary accessories of an independent community”, and they are mostly described, by the writer, as great, striking features of Mexico. They were solely developed as economic enterprises that granted profit and linked regional or international markets. However, Mexico had a very large rural peasantry and the size of working classes increased. As the size of the haciendas expanded, the peasants were pressured. This soon led to strikes and labor unrest. These frustrations erupted into the Mexican Revolution, which lasted for ten years. Seven years after the conclusion of the war, in 1917, the hacienda system was abolished by law. In Cuba, the majority of plantations were under American rule. The investments Americans made in Cuba allowed for the mass production of sugar cane. The plantations were highly profitable, and, as shown in Document 4, worked upon by both men and women. These economic changes in Latin America eventually led to prosperity and