EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD

AFTERMATH OF INDEPENDENCE

YEARS OF FIGHTING – HIGH PRICE ON NEWLY CREATED STATES

VIOLENCE
INCREASED MILITARIZATION
ARMED MILITIA – POWER CONTENDERS
ADDED ECONOMIC BURDEN – DEBTS
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
EMANCIPATED SLAVES NOT RECOGNIZED AS EQUALS

URBAN ELITES MORE CONCERNED WITH THEIR OWN SOCIAL POSITION

[MERCHANTS, MAGISTRATES, AND BUREAUCRATS]

AREAS OF LARGE NATIVE COMMUNITIES – MEXICO, GUATEMALA, AND

ANDES
SURVIVED WITH LITTLE CHANGES

INTERNAL MARKETS WEAK – INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES SELF-

SUFFICIENT

RURAL LANDOWNERS PRESENTED CHALLENGES TO URBAN ELITES

RIVALRIES – CAPITAL CITIES AND PROVINCIAL CAPITALS

COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
LACK OF ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION

NEW NATIONS – UNABLE TO UNITE

CHAOS IN GOVERNMENT, INSTABILITY, DISORDER
CONTRIBUTED TO IMAGE OF WEAKNESS – IMAGE OF LATIN AMERICA AS
WEAK STARTED THEN

CAPTAINS, MILITARY LEADERS – NOT PREPARED FOR TASK OF

GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL IDEAS WERE DOGMATIC
LOCAL INTERESTS MORE ATTENTION THAN NATIONAL CONCERNS
VIEWS OF POWER AND AUTHORITY PREVAILED

CAUDILLOS