POLITICAL SCIENCE 242 – WHY NATIONS FAIL
WEEK 1: Theories about Poverty & Different Types of Colonialism
[Chapter 1: Sections: Cajamarca, Jamestown, Making a Billion or Two; Toward a
theory of world inequality]
What do I need to understand?
- Do you understand why the England-based Virginia Company could not establish
control over the territory of chief Wahunsunacock in Jamestown the same way as the
Spanish established control over the Aztecs and other indigenous groups in Latin-
America?
- Why was the issue regarding population density in the America’s in the 1500’s so
fundamental to the different outcomes about political and economic control in
Jamestown and Latin America?
Cajamarca
- Cajamarca Spanish Colonization Strategy
- The Spanish expansion and colonization of Latin America began with invasion by the
Cortes in 1519.
- How did the Spanish establish control? (2-Step Approach)
o They would capture the indigenous leader, thus subduing the opposition.
After this they forced the locals to give tribute to them in the form of taxed.
o They would settle themselves within the society as the new elite, and then
made use of the indigenous population in the form of labour, slavery – utilised
an extractive process.
- Encomienda
o 1521: The Cortes created a system called encomienda.
o The indigenous people had to give the encomendero tribute and labour
services, in exchanges for which the encomendero was charged with them to
Christianity.
o The encomienda was the main institution used for the control and
organisation of labour.
- Mita System System which the Inca’s used to force labour – Spanish turned this
into their own system for labour in the mines.
o Why is the city of Potosi so significant?
- Map 1 The Inca Empire important
, - Repartimiento The rescale of goods at a price determined by the Spanish – was
not set by the market.
- Trajin Force indigenous people to carry heavy loads of goods.
It did not work in Jamestown
- Cajamarca: In reference to Spain’s colonization strategy.
- Need to know: Why Spanish approach did not work in North America, led to inclusive
institution.
- Story of the Virginia Company futile attempt to copy Spanish approach
- Key concepts:
- ‘The English got the leftovers’
- Pocahantas, Wahunsunacock & John Smith
- Population densities see map 2 important!
, Both Latin America and North America were part of the new world – North America
was uninhabited but was occupied rather late by the English; As seen then by the
Spanish, the English not the leftovers.
Their attempt to follow the colonization process of the Spanish did not succeed
because there was no gold or silver to extract & the local chief was aware of what the
settlers were trying to do, he then boycotted any form of trade with the settlement.
Captain John realized that this model of the Spanish was not going to work, so he
attempted a different approach, and tried to befriend the local population.
1609-1610: As a result of not being able to enslave the locals, they attempted to
enslave the settlers.
North America had a very low population density as opposed to Latin America
because the land was so vast.
– thus, they could not stop people from leaving.
Then they started to give incentives in the form of land for the people not to leave.
WEEK 1: Theories about Poverty & Different Types of Colonialism
[Chapter 1: Sections: Cajamarca, Jamestown, Making a Billion or Two; Toward a
theory of world inequality]
What do I need to understand?
- Do you understand why the England-based Virginia Company could not establish
control over the territory of chief Wahunsunacock in Jamestown the same way as the
Spanish established control over the Aztecs and other indigenous groups in Latin-
America?
- Why was the issue regarding population density in the America’s in the 1500’s so
fundamental to the different outcomes about political and economic control in
Jamestown and Latin America?
Cajamarca
- Cajamarca Spanish Colonization Strategy
- The Spanish expansion and colonization of Latin America began with invasion by the
Cortes in 1519.
- How did the Spanish establish control? (2-Step Approach)
o They would capture the indigenous leader, thus subduing the opposition.
After this they forced the locals to give tribute to them in the form of taxed.
o They would settle themselves within the society as the new elite, and then
made use of the indigenous population in the form of labour, slavery – utilised
an extractive process.
- Encomienda
o 1521: The Cortes created a system called encomienda.
o The indigenous people had to give the encomendero tribute and labour
services, in exchanges for which the encomendero was charged with them to
Christianity.
o The encomienda was the main institution used for the control and
organisation of labour.
- Mita System System which the Inca’s used to force labour – Spanish turned this
into their own system for labour in the mines.
o Why is the city of Potosi so significant?
- Map 1 The Inca Empire important
, - Repartimiento The rescale of goods at a price determined by the Spanish – was
not set by the market.
- Trajin Force indigenous people to carry heavy loads of goods.
It did not work in Jamestown
- Cajamarca: In reference to Spain’s colonization strategy.
- Need to know: Why Spanish approach did not work in North America, led to inclusive
institution.
- Story of the Virginia Company futile attempt to copy Spanish approach
- Key concepts:
- ‘The English got the leftovers’
- Pocahantas, Wahunsunacock & John Smith
- Population densities see map 2 important!
, Both Latin America and North America were part of the new world – North America
was uninhabited but was occupied rather late by the English; As seen then by the
Spanish, the English not the leftovers.
Their attempt to follow the colonization process of the Spanish did not succeed
because there was no gold or silver to extract & the local chief was aware of what the
settlers were trying to do, he then boycotted any form of trade with the settlement.
Captain John realized that this model of the Spanish was not going to work, so he
attempted a different approach, and tried to befriend the local population.
1609-1610: As a result of not being able to enslave the locals, they attempted to
enslave the settlers.
North America had a very low population density as opposed to Latin America
because the land was so vast.
– thus, they could not stop people from leaving.
Then they started to give incentives in the form of land for the people not to leave.
