Survey of Latin America

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Kia Burrell

Dr. Ian Aebel

26 October 2012

History 325

Survey of Latin America

Exam II

Word Count : 1,861

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The postcolonial theory discusses the issues of postcolonial identity, the

interactions of gender, race and religion in the development of culture and society,

and how indigenous/colonized people were taken advantage of by those who were

colonizing.

A colony is dependent upon its mother country for governing, protection,

and for maintaining the overall flow of its society after it is colonized. The

colony creates money, resources, its own individual culture and social structure,

both influenced by its mother country. When the colony becomes independent

and separates itself from the mother country, it loses the resources previously

provided.

When Latin American nations gained independence from the countries

that colonized them, they engaged in wars with each because there was no

overseeing government; many, if not all, governments put in place were unstable

and in constant turmoil because of opposing views and the struggle for power.

The governments formed post-independence were mainly oligarchies or financial

dictatorships. The elite within society took it upon themselves to govern the

newly independent nations. Because of this, many of the nations were

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traumatized,

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“Political conflict had completely shaken apart several of the new

Spanish American republics”.

The Latin American nations created the machismo culture; a hyper

masculine culture that celebrates men and puts women behind closed doors as

much as possible. Women lost their rights gained in the colonial period. The

only way a women could live her life as she pleased would be if she was wealthy.

Because of this Machismo culture, the population was not utilized to its fullest

extent. Caudillos, a party’s national leader, began to arise in the culture,

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“Caudillos were often war heroes who embodied ideal masculine qualities –