Historica Olomucensia

Nineteenth Century in the South America

The 19th century was for the whole South American continent a century of a great changes. The United States became industrial great power and started to raise its international ambitions, at the end of the century in Latin America and Pacific in particular. The first quarter of the century in Latin America was characterized by wars for independence, through which the continent liberated itself from the rule of the old colonial powers - Spain and Portugal. The character of those wars is still a matter of large dispute among scholars, who study the question of existence of modern nations in the region during this period. Nevertheless it seems, that recently the majority of scholars accepted the state-nation concept, according which the forming of an independent state accelerated the forming of the nation. This process was further accelerated by conflicts with European powers and with the United States, that led a war with Mexico for almost half a century. After the Civil War and the reconstruction, the United States systematically tried to strengthen its positions on the continent. This is especially true for the period after 1898, when United States led a victorious war with Spain. Very important phenomenon of the last quarter of the 19th century is the so called "modernisation". This process affected, with different intensity and results, the whole region. South American countries most affected by the modernization (Mexico, Brazil and Chile) were thus prepared for the economical and political growth in the 20th century. While in the area of technology the progress was pinpointed by the modern railway and communication system in general, in the area of political life the progress was represented by participation of new social classes (middle class, workers) and by formation of modern political parties.