Question 1

When the Cortez and the conquistadors arrived at Tenochtitlan, they found&#10;A) A city larger than any existing city in Europe&#10;B) A small but prosperous city&#10;C) Impressive pyramids but not much else&#10;D) A big city but little economic life beyond the elites

Accepted Answer

When Cortez and the conquistadors arrived at Tenochtitlan, they were astonished to find a city that was larger than any existing city in Europe at the time. Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Aztec empire and was renowned for its complex architecture, bustling markets, and vast population.

Question 2

Which of the following factors is now regarded as a less signficant factor explaining the success of the Conquistadors than it once was?&#10;A) Indigneous peoples thought Pizarro and Cortez were gods&#10;B) Diseases brought by the Europeans ravaged indigenous populations&#10;C) Indigenous peoples often saw the Spaniards as allies for revolts against the Aztecs and Inca.&#10;D) European weapons were technologically superior.

Accepted Answer

The belief that indigenous peoples thought Pizarro and Cortez were gods is now seen as a less significant factor in explaining the success of the Conquistadors. This interpretation has been reevaluated by historians, who argue that political, military, and disease-related factors played a more critical role.

Question 3

The seeds of class and racial inequality in Latin America were sown by the king's practice of &#34;entrusting&#34; conquerors with the souls and labor of Indignous peoples. This was known as:&#10;A) Mestizaje&#10;B) Compadrazgo&#10;C) Encomienda&#10;D) Criolloismo

Accepted Answer

The encomienda system was a practice where the Spanish crown granted colonists the right to the labor of Indigenous peoples in exchange for their conversion to Christianity. This system played a significant role in establishing class and racial hierarchies in Latin America.

Question 4

While Brazil's colonial experience was similar in many ways to the rest of Latin America, it differed in that:&#10;A) Brazil was a vast territory but unlike Spanish America not divided by Portugal into separae colonial administrations&#10;B) Brazil's economy was largely self-contained, not geared to export of raw materials&#10;C) Brazil relied more on Indigenous labor than the slave trade&#10;D) Disease had less impact on Brazil pre-Colombian population

Accepted Answer

Brazil, unlike Spanish America, was not divided into separate colonial administrations by Portugal, which managed it as a single, vast territory. This contrasts with the Spanish approach of dividing their territories into viceroyalties and other administrative units.

Question 5

A term describing gender relations in colonial Latin America has also been used to describe the Iberian colonial system of extraction. The phrase often used is:&#10;A) La Raza&#10;B) Open veins of Latin America&#10;C) Marianismo&#10;D) Rape of a Continent

Accepted Answer

The phrase "Rape of a Continent" is used to describe the exploitative extraction practices of the Iberian colonial system in Latin America, highlighting the aggressive and destructive nature of colonial exploitation.

Question 6

Over time a colonial elite developed in Latin America, consisting of elites who generally were born in the region and formed a racial-econommic ruling class subject to imperial rulers. In Spanish America they were known as:

A) Mestizos
B) Criollos
C) Peninsulares
D) Caudillos

Accepted Answer

Criollos were individuals of Spanish descent born in the Americas. They formed a local elite class but were ranked below the Peninsulares, who were born in Spain. Over time, Criollos became increasingly influential in the colonial administration and economy, although they were often frustrated by their second-class status compared to the Peninsulares.

Question 7

What event late in the late colonial era sent shivers down the spines of the colonial ruling elte?&#10;A) The American Revolution&#10;B) An earthquake that nearly destroymed Quito&#10;C) The Vatican's call for freedom of religion&#10;D) The Hatitian Revolution

Accepted Answer

The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was a significant event that alarmed colonial ruling elites across the Americas and beyond. It was the first and only successful slave rebellion that led to the establishment of a free, sovereign nation. The revolution challenged the existing social and economic order, inspiring enslaved and oppressed peoples while instilling fear in slaveholders and colonial authorities about the potential for similar uprisings in their territories.

Question 8

Plurinationalism in the Andes is associated with:&#10;A) The call for genuine pluralist democracy, that is, polyarchy&#10;B) The demand by Indigenous people to break way and form their own sovereign state&#10;C) The idea that the state in Bolivia and some other Andean nations should be based not on the idea of a single nation but multiple nationalities&#10;D) The efforts of mestizo elites to make &#34;la raza&#34; the defining idea of nationality

Accepted Answer

Plurinationalism in the Andes, particularly in Bolivia, emphasizes the recognition and coexistence of multiple nationalities within a single state, reflecting the diverse ethnic and cultural composition of the population. This concept is a response to the historical marginalization of Indigenous peoples and aims to promote a more inclusive and equitable form of governance.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a legacy of colonialism in Latin America?&#10;A) Economic dependency&#10;B) Extractivism&#10;C) Monoculture&#10;D) Rejection of idea of a common Latin identity

Accepted Answer

The legacy of colonialism in Latin America includes economic dependency, extractivism, and monoculture, which were all established or significantly influenced by colonial powers. However, the idea of a common Latin identity, rather than being rejected, has been embraced and promoted in various ways throughout the region's history as a form of unity and resistance against colonial and neo-colonial influences.

Question 10

Evo Morales emerged as representative of which group in Bolivia&#10;A) Mestizos&#10;B) Aymaras&#10;C) Afrodescendents&#10;D) Incas

Accepted Answer

Evo Morales is widely recognized as a representative of the Aymara people, one of the indigenous groups in Bolivia. He became the country's first indigenous president in 2006, highlighting his Aymara heritage as a central aspect of his identity and political platform.

Deck 4: Democratic and Autocratic Threads Before Columbus and in Colonial Latin America