2. DIFFICULTIES OF NATION BUILDING
• Caudillos (Strong leaders) gained control after
independence and ruled by military force
• Some built roads, canals, ports, and schools
• American settlers in Texas revolted and won
independence from Mexico in 1836
• Became a US state in 1845
• Benito Juarez was a good caudillo who brought
many reforms to Mexico like education reform and
distributing land to the poor
3. A NEW IMPERIALISM
• Britain took over Latin American economy by
sending British merchants over and investing
• Exports included wheat, tobacco, wool, sugar,
coffee, and hides
• Finished consumer goods were imported such as
textiles
4. THE US IN LATIN AMERICA
• After the Spanish-American war, Cuba became a
protectorate and Puerto Rico was annexed
• 1903 the US supported a rebellion that freed
Panama from Colombia
• Was granted a 10mile wide strip of land where they built the
Panama Canal
• US began to send military forces all over Latin
America to protect its interests
5. REVOLT IN MEXICO
• Wealthy landowners owned most of Mexico
• Emiliano Zapata lead landless peasants to sieze
estates of wealthy landowners.
• Did this when dictatorship was weak
• Caused great damage to the Mexican economy
• Called the Mexican Revolution- led to a new
constitution in 1917
6. ECONOMIC CHANGE
• After 1870 Latin America entered an age of
prosperity because of the export of specialty goods
• Coffee from Brazil, Wheat and beef from Argentina, etc
• Increased industrialization- building factories
• The middle classes (lawyers, merchants) began to
grow
