Latin America

The first places in the New World that were conquered were the nations now collectively known as Latin America. These places include most of South America and the Caribbean, as well as Central America and Mexico. The primary colonial force in the region was Spain. However, even after the Latin American Wars of Independence and Spanish withdrawal, the United States controlled the region through economic imperialism to profit off the land and the people.

The Spanish conquistadores, as the colonizers were known, arrived in the New World, and swiftly overthrew the local empires, and forced the indigenous peoples into the encomienda system. The system was supposed to protect and provide for natives by giving them food and shelter in exchange for free labor. In reality, the brutality of the labor and punishments killed most natives—those who didn’t die from the harsh conditions suffered from various illnesses. Around 90% of natives died from smallpox, measles, or the flu. Pre-Columbian cultures were subsequently destroyed.

The Mayan civilization, which spanned from the Yucatan Peninsula to areas of Central America such as Honduras and El Salvador, had suffered a tremendous cultural decline, and much of their history remains unrecovered. In fact, the Classical Mayan civilization’s collapse remains one of the greatest historical mysteries, even today. The Classical Mayan period began around 250 BC and fell during the 8th and 9th centuries. Although the Mayan civilization fell long before the Spanish arrival, many artifacts and aspects of Mayan culture remained throughout Mesoamerica. However, few of these artifacts remain today.

Diego de Landa, a Spanish historian and bishop, is to blame for this. Landa is mostly known for his book Relación de las Cosas de Yucatán preserving various aspects of Mayan culture, religion, and language. However, Landa was also extremely destructive to the remains of the Mayan civilization. In 1562, he ordered all Mayan books to be burned because they contained “superstition and lies of the devil.” Only about three original Mayan codices, or ancient books, remain. These, along with the remaining ruins of the civilization, have given way to projects. One of these is the Maya Conservation Partnership, a program dedicated to “preserving the heritage and patrimony of the ancient Maya Civilization.” The group is also committed to preserving the natural environment of Guatemala and Mexico.