A History of Latin America

iii

CONTENTS

Maps vi

Preface vii

Introduction: The Geographic Background
of Latin American History xiii

PART ONE

The Colonial Heritage of Latin

America 2

1 Ancient America 7

Environment and Culture in Ancient
America 7
Populations in 1492 11 • Nuclear
America 12 • Early American
Civilizations 14

The Maya of Central America 17
Maya Economy and Society 18 • Maya
Religion and Learning 19 • Maya Decline
and Transformation of Mesoamerica 22

The Aztecs of Mexico 23
Aztec Imperial Expansion 23 • Aztec
Culture and Society 26

The Incas of Peru 29
Origins of Inca Culture 29 • Inca Economy
and Society 30 • Inca Religion and
Learning 35

2 The Hispanic Background 36

The Medieval Heritage of Iberia’s Christian
Kingdoms 37
Castile 38 • Aragón 39

Ferdinand and Isabella: The Catholic

Sovereigns 41

Restoration of Order 41 • Religious

and Economic Reforms 42 • Foreign

Policy 43 • Reappraisal of Ferdinand and

Isabella’s Policies 43

The Hapsburg Era: Triumph and Tragedy 47

The Reign of Charles 47 • The Reign of

Philip II and the Remaining Hapsburgs 48 •

The Waning Economy and Society 49 •

Literary and Artistic Developments 50

3 The Conquest of America 52

The Great Voyages 52

Exploration Under Prince Henry 52 • The

Sea Route to the East 53 • The Advance

into the Atlantic 54 • The Voyages of

Columbus 55 • The Discovery of America

in Historical Perspective 56 • Balboa and

Magellan 61

The Conquest of Mexico 61

Early Contact with Moctezuma 61 •

Cortés-Quetzalcóatl 62 • The March

to Tenochtitlán 64 • The Aftermath of

Conquest 65

The Conquest of Peru 66

Pizarro and Atahualpa 66 • Post-Conquest

Troubles 67

How a Handful of Spaniards Won Two

Empires 68

The Quest for El Dorado 69

Failures in North America 69 •

Frustrations in South America 71 • The