Pre-20th Century History

The politics in contemporary Latin America has deep roots in its pre-Columbian and colonial past as well as in the nineteenth century.

To provide a background on Latin America, the following sources cover these topics: (1) pre-Columbian peoples; (2) colonial rule; and (3) independence & the 19th century.

Pre-Columbian Peoples

• • America before Columbus
    • On the state of “the Americas” before the arrival of Columbus in 1492
  • Historia de América Latina
    • Thirteen-part documentary (in Spanish) that includes 8 episodes on pre-Columbian peoples: (1) Imaginarios latinoamericanos; (2) Poblamiento de América Latina; (3) Culturas del México Antiguo; (4) Pueblos Andinos; (5) Los Incas; (6) Los Mayas; (7) Pueblos ancestrales – on the peoples of the extreme south of the continent; and (8) Sociedades fluviales y selvícolas – on the originary peoples of Brazil, the Caribbean and the circum-Caribbean region.

•    Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean

• • • God, Gold, and Glory
      • Part 1 of four-part documentary series, “Mexico. A Story of Courage and Conquest,” on the early civilizations of the Mayans and Aztecs
    • Lost Kingdoms of Central America
      • Four-part documentary on the rise and fall of the forgotten civilizations of Central America: (1) Kingdom of the Jaguar – on the Olmecs; (2) The People Who Greeted Columbus – on the Taino people of the Caribbean; (3) Between Oceans and Empires – on the people of ancient Costa Rica; and (4) The Place Where Time Began – on the ancient civilization of Teotihuacan.

•    south America

  • •  The Inca: Master of the Clouds
      • Two-part documentary on the Incan empire that reassess the origins, accomplishments and nature of one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen: (1) Foundations – on the achievements of the Inca Empire; and (2) Clash of Empires – on the Spanish conquest of the Inca.
    •  Lost Kingdoms of South America
      • Four-part documentary on the history of some of South America’s ancient civilizations: (1) People of the Clouds – on the Peruvian Andes; (2) The Stone at the Centre – on the Bolivian Andes; (3) Lands of Gold – on Colombia; and (4) Kingdom of the Desert – on coastal Peru.

Colonial Rule

• • A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies (Breve relación de la destrucción de las Indias)
    • Contemporaneous account, written by Bartolomé de las Casas in 1542, of the mistreatment of the indigenous peoples of the Americas during colonial times. A version of this book in English can be found here and in Spanish here.
  • Conquistadors
    • Four-part documentary on the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century: (1) The Fall of the Aztecs; (2) The Conquest of the Incas; (3) The Search for El Dorado; and (4) All World is Human.
  • Historia de América Latina
    • Thirteen-part documentary (in Spanish) that includes five episodes on colonial rule and decolonization:  (9) La hora de los dioses; (10) La hora de los héroes I; (11) La hora de los héroes II; (12) Colonización y “nueva sociedad”; and (13) Crisis del orden colonial.
  • The Middle Passage & Black Latin America
    • Part of a documentary, “Roots: The Middle Passage,” on the history of the transatlantic slave trade, how it was started, developed, and the importance of the Spanish Empire – including its colonies in the Americas – to the slave trade
  • Slave Societies
    • Digital archive on slave societies, with resources on countries in Latin America which had slaves and were involved in the slave trade
  • Slave Voyages
    • Website that provides a digital archive withon information on slave voyages and narratives within the trade

   Brazil

• • • Brazil: An Inconvenient History
      • Documentary on Brazil, on the country’s history as told through the eyes of those enslaved 

Independence & the 19th Century

• • Early Map Images of the Americas
    • A comprehensive listing of map image sites, from the sixteenth century on, available on the Internet
  • La construcción del Estado en América Latina
    • Video presentation (in Spanish), by sociologist Miguel Ángel Centeno, of the main arguments of his book Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America
  • Historia contemporánea de América Latina
    • A classic book (in Spanish), by historian Tulio Halperín Donghi, on Latin America in the nineteenth century
  • State Formation
    • Video presentation, by political scientist Sebastián Mazzuca, of the main arguments of his book Latecomer State Formation: Political Geography and Capacity Failure in Latin America.
  • War and Nation Building in Latin America
    • Brief video overview on nation building and nationalism in Latin America

•    Mexico

• • • The Mexican-American War
      • Documentary on the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the first armed conflict chiefly fought by the United States on foreign soil
    • Mexico: A Story of Courage and Conquest
      • Four-part documentary series on Mexico, from the early civilizations of the Mayans and Aztecs through the early twentieth century: (1) God, Gold, and Glory; (2) From Independence to the Alamo; (3) Battle for North America; and (4) Revolution and Rebirth.
    • México en tres tiempos
      • Four-part documentary on Mexico (in Spanish), by historian Enrique Krauze, that addresses Mexico’s process of independence from Spain: (1) La decadencia de la nueva España; (2) La rebelión del cura Hidalgo; (3) La lucha de José María Morelos; and (4) La consumación de la Independencia.
    • The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848)
      • Two-part long (4 hours) documentary series on the war between the United States and Mexico of 1846-1848. Part 1 can be found here; Part 2 can be found here.

•    cuba

• • • Crucible of Empire: The Spanish American War
      • Documentary on the war between the United States and  Spain that began in 1898 and eventually led to U.S. control of Cuba and later resulted in Cuban independence

•    Argentina

  • • La formación de un país
      • Documentary on Argentina, covering Argentina’s independence from Spain and the formation of the modern state. Part of a series, “Historia de un país, Argentina Siglo XX.”

   bolivia

• • • Los caminos al mar
      • Documentary (in Spanish) on the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), that confronted Chile against Bolivia and Peru. Part of a series, “Bolivia Siglo XX,” made by Bolivians.

   Brazil

• • • A Última Abolição
      • Documentary on Brazil (in Portuguese), that addresses slavery in Brazil with a special focus on the period of abolition, highlighting the abolitionist movements, their allies and enemies

   chile

• • • Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
      • Eight-part documentary series on Chile (in Spanish) that covers colonial rule, decolonization and the 19th century, and includes the following episodes: (4) Bernardo O’Higgins y José Miguel Carrera – on the independence process; (5) Ramón Freire y Diego Portales – on the state formation process; (6) Montt y Mackenna; and (7) Balmaceda y el fin de la guerra.

   paraguay

• • • Cándido López: Los campos de batalla
      • Documentary on Paraguay (in Spanish), on the Paraguayan War of 1864 to 1870; also known as the War of the Triple Alliance.

• • peru

    • • Ramón Castilla
        • Documentary on Peru (in Spanish), on Ramón Castilla, a Peruvian caudillo who served as President of Peru three times in the mid-19th century and played a key role in the formation of the Peruvian state