Blog Four

Jacob Smithson

WH 130

Professor Soland

7 November 2019

Sociological changes throughout Latin America in the Colonial Period through the 19th Century

Much like other nations throughout the course of their history, Latin America experienced numerous changes within its Colonial period and through the nineteenth century. The most prominent sociological changes to occur however were pertaining to slavery, religion, and race. This is not dissimilar to the rest of the world within this time period, however, in Brazil the idea of a mixing of the races was one of great contentions where some viewed the many different races such as Africans, Europeans, Mestizos, and others as equals while other citizens within the region viewed some as lower class individuals based on their occupations and histories. For example, a Brazillian intellectual and literary critic named Silvio Romero stated, “We are a country of mixed blood …. We are mestizos if not in our blood at least in our soul,” (Romero qtd. In Schwarczs). In saying this, Romero simultaneously displays his disdain in the mixing of races and his pride in the people of his country. It is mostly due to the change being brought upon the region that the great variety of mixed opinions was as prominent as it was as well as the political environment at the time. Additionally, due to the general mindset of the people within the region at the time, the mixing of the races was considered, “Chaos,” (Schwarczs). Furthermore, due to the varying occupations of those within different categories of race throughout Latin America, varying opinions were formed based on stereotypes that came with one being a certain race and those that were classified by the upper class citizens to be lower class typically was a result of lower income and by extension, race. This therefore resulted in further tensions between different cultural groups. 

Furthermore, the different geographical areas that separated groups of people resulted in those living in the city being seen as more civilized and sophisticated whereas those that lived on the outskirts being seen as less civilized. This is shown in Latin American in the Mid-Nineteenth Century when the author states that, “The people who inhabit these extensive districts belong to two different races, the Spanish and the Native,” (1). By stating this, the author shows the general perspective of those within the area at this point in time by displaying that those who are seen by the general public as being less civilized were synonymous with being a different race than those that were viewed to be higher class and more civilized. All of the above however is in contrast to the end of the nineteenth century where rather than race, things such as “the patriarchy” and “public health” became the public’s main concern. With this drastic change in the public’s interest, issues such as race and religion fell by the wayside and were therefore no longer seen as such contentious issues. This is due to the simple fact that once the public was able to unite as one and start seeing another person’s issue as their own, they were able to advance the agenda of more important things such as those listed above. This large change mostly due to the fact that, “an overwhelmingly agricultural society began to transform into a predominantly urban one,” (JPM Public Health). And as a result of this rapidly modernizing society, more important issues began to take precedence in the public eye.

Works Cited

Mooney, Jadwiga E. Pieper. The Politics of Motherhood: Maternity and Womens Rights in Twentieth-Century Chile. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009.

Schwarcz, Lilia Moritz. The Spectacle of the Races: Scientists, Institutions, and the Race Question in Brazil, 1870-1930. Hill and Wang, 1999.

(Unable to find Latin American Society in the Mid-Nineteenth Century information)