Conquistadors And Its Impact On South American Culture

The lives of Native Americans were impacted by the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1492, changing their lives forever. Spain would now rule a vast empire for the next 350 years structured on factors such as labor and exploitation of the Indian population. The conquistadors had aspirations of bringing about Catholicism to non-Christian areas, while extracting riches in the process. With many Spaniards going over seas to find riches, diseases followed them causing problems for New World natives due to their lack of immunities. With the trouble caused upon natives, individuals like Bartolomé de Las Casas attempted to bring awareness and a halt against the oppression of the Indians.

The Irish discovered the problem when they found that they were harvesting black potatoes. At first they blamed the problem on poor weather, or insects. They just figured that it was another poor farming season. The actual spreading of the disease was that its pores were carried in the wind and land in pits where potatoes were to be planted. The disease would not die in the extreme winter cold and would double the problem for the next spring’s crop.

Every artist's dream is to create something that leaves a lasting impression. The Last Conquistador follows the story of a sculptor who does exactly that. John Houser spent nearly a decade painstakingly crafted a 34-foot tall equestrian statue featuring the infamous Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate y Salazar. Following in the footsteps of his father who assisted in the carving of Mount Rushmore, Houser's fantasy of leaving his mark in one of the largest bronze equestrian statues in the world finally became a reality (Valadez). However, what an artist attempts to express and what message is truly received may not be one and the same. While the Hispanic elite of El Paso praised (and funded) the magnificent piece, the Acoma were horrified by the towering symbol of oppression and genocide looming overhead. This film not only provides a window into the conflict and controversy surrounding Houser's work, but also showcases several aspects of Texas political culture and highlights the dismissive attitude toward Native American culture that is still prevalent today.

The Conquest of Mexico and the conversion of the peoples of New Spain can and should be included among the histories of the world, not only because it was well done but because it was very great. . . . Long live, then, the name and memory of him [Cortés] who conquered so vast a land, converted such a multitude of men, cast down so many men, cast down so many men, cast down so many idols, and put an end to so much sacrifice and the eating of human flesh! —Francisco López de Gómara (1552)

In the 1620s the potato was introduced to the colony of Virginia courtesy of the British governor of the Bahamas. The potato didn’t truly spread until it received a seal of approval from Thomas Jefferson after serving them to guests at the White House (Chapman, n.d.). The potato continued it’s spread across the world and eventually became a staple part of meals (and snacks) the world over.

Potatoes were prime to the Americas and even Europe (when they were shipped back) as they were resistant to cold and could grow in very thin soil. In Europe, it supported the sailors, and even the lower class, only adding to its value. It had also saved Ireland from extinction as it was their only choice to avoid starvation (and began a huge Irish stereotype, among

Before 1500, potatoes were not become outside of South America. By the 1840s, Ireland was so subject to the potato that the proximate reason for the Incomparable Starvation was a potato malady. Potatoes in the long run turned into an imperative staple of the eating regimen in quite a bit of Europe. Numerous European rulers, including Frederick the Incomparable of Prussia and Catherine the Incomparable of Russia, supported the development of the potato. Maize and cassava, acquainted with the Portuguese from South America in the sixteenth century, have supplanted sorghum and millet as Africa's most essential sustenance crops. sixteenth century Spanish colonizers acquainted new staple yields with Asia from the Americas, including maize and sweet potatoes, and along these lines added to populace development in Asia. Tomatoes, which came to Europe from the New World by means of Spain, were at first prized in Italy basically for their decorative esteem . From the nineteenth century tomato sauces wound up run of the mill of Neapolitan food and, eventually, Italian cooking when all is said in done. Espresso from Africa and the Center East and sugarcane from the Spanish West Independents turned into the fundamental fare product harvests of broad Latin American manors. Acquainted with India by the Portuguese, bean stew and potatoes from South America have turned into a basic piece of Indian

Potatoes began prospering with the Incan people in the Andes in the form of polyculture. The environment surrounding the Andes was harsh and unforgiving and where one type of potato would thrive, another would perish. The Incan people then changed their needs in order to satisfy the potato and began growing different types of each in different areas of the mountains. This method was extremely successful and resulted in massive genetic diversity for the potato. On the other hand, once potatoes were transported to Ireland, they underwent a change subject to human desires where only one type of potato was grown excessively, otherwise known as monoculture. The Irish had discovered that a single type of potato prospered in their soil and provided substantial nutritional support for the masses, resulting in the cultivation of a single genetic strand. The consequences of this endeavor would come later with the blight, but in this case, the potato had succumbed to the needs of humans. Lastly and more presently in the United States, potatoes have altogether lost their say in evolution by being grown only based on their requirement to feed the many. Certain strains of potatoes have become prevalent due to their need for food purposes, such as “perfect” French fries provided for restaurant chains. Besides

Because the Indians and Spanish lived in different areas in Latin America, the Indian culture and society did not change significantly. Or did there society change?

As mentioned earlier chicory originated in the mediterranean and was eventually spread around the world. It eventually came to America in the 1700s and was cultivated until the 1950's. When brought over to the United States it was mainly to use as a medicinal crop but it was eventually used as a forage crop. It was originally a medicinal herb when it was brought to the United States but its culinary uses have dated back all the way to the roman times. They used to eat them as a vegetable or in

One of the first impressions that I have when I started the university was that great diversity of thought, it was that great diversity of actions, it was that permission to think and do whatever I want. People have freedom to do whatever they want without being scared or without thinking in the society patterns that I used to have in South America. I mean, coming from a traditional society in the Andes region where everything was right or wrong, where some actions cannot be accepted, and where the society judge with a different social cultural perspective than the American perspective. Excessive freedom used in a good and bad ways was the culture in the United States. Culture is the sum total of the knowledge, ideas, behaviors, and material

It is believed that the Dutch introduced Potato in China around 1600. It has since been grown in the mountainous areas of western and northern China. It was not perceived with much vitality and its cultivation in China was not so important until the early years of

The potato seems to us today to be such a staple food that it is hard to believe that it has only been accepted as edible by most of the Western world for the past 200 years. Our story begins thousands of years ago, in South America—Peru,

The potato is one of history’s most important vegetables, although initially reluctant Europeans quickly became dependent on the plant. Most of the educated class saw the potato’s potential and raised it in their gardens before the more superstitious lower classes. The lower classes feared the myths of “night shades and plagues” and the encouragement from God was the only sign to begin growing potatoes (Zuckerman 49). Some farmers believed this crop to be an aphrodisiac, others saw it as the cause of fever and leprosy. In meat-loving England, urban workers and considered potatoes to have an extreme distaste. The critic, Denis Diderot wrote in his Encyclopédie in 1765 his stance on the potato. He stated that “it wasn’t a pleasant food, though abundant, and adequately nourished those who didn’t care about anything except sustenance” (Zuckerman 73). The Europeans had strong opinions about the potato and it would have to take a lot of convincing to change their minds. The European government knew the potato could develop and effect the economy in a positive way, they only needed to find a way to encourage the lower classes to grow the vegetable.

Potatoes need deep and well-cultivated soil. Ground left without vegetation on it over the winter months is susceptible to nitrogen leaching. As a result, ploughing to a depth of 22cm, rotovation and bed formation occur in spring to produce a fine seedbed. Potatoes are then sown 10 cm below the ridge by hand. I learned from talking to the farmer that the seeds should be spaced 20-25cm apart to help with individual growth of the plant.