The Real Reasons Why South America Failed to Develop

The Unknown World: South America

As mentioned in previous post, the chaos in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars led to the independence of numerous South American countries one by one. But why exactly did the Napoleonic Wars trigger the birth of today’s South American nations? To understand this, we first need to examine what existed on the South American continent before these ‘nations’ came into being.

What Was South America Like in the Past?

Typically in history, nations emerge through dynastic changes, wars that divide and reunite territories, and conflicts between princes. But what was the situation in South America?

In fact, ancient South American history remains largely a mystery. Due to the absence of written languages, there are virtually no records of civilizations or history preserved in books or carved in stone. This is why South American researchers and archaeologists continue their studies to this day.

What we know for certain are about three civilizations: the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca. We know about these three civilizations precisely because they existed when the Spanish arrived.

Spain conquered all three empires in sequence: Aztec → Maya → Inca, gradually occupying territories from Central America down to South America.

• Aztec Empire: 1519-1521, Mexico region. Conquered by Spain in just 3 years.
• Maya Civilization: Resisted from 1511-1697, but was conquered while already in decline.
• Inca Empire: 1533-1572, centered in the Andes Mountains. Including resistance from remnant forces, it took about 40 years.

The Aztec territory was conquered first because the region was relatively flat and politically chaotic. Some tribes around the Aztecs even welcomed the Spanish as liberators.

However, the Maya were located in jungles, and the Inca were in mountainous highlands. The jungle made cavalry advances difficult and troop supply challenging, while the Inca region was so treacherous that it caused altitude sickness, making Spanish conquest much more time-consuming.

Here’s an interesting point: the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations all lacked iron technology. Their weapons were stone axes and clubs. Meanwhile, the Spanish had iron armor, guns, and even cannons. This shows that technological development in these regions was relatively slow until the 1500s.

Why Was Technological Development So Slow in South America?

One reason is the terrain. South America has many flat-topped mountains we call ‘table mountains,’ and this geography makes interaction between people difficult. Different tribes couldn’t interact with each other and lived in isolation.

For example, crossing the Andes Mountains where the Inca Empire was located leads directly to the Amazon rainforest. With dangerous animals like piranhas, anacondas, and crocodiles, plus terrain unsuitable for agriculture, these geographical factors limited trade and exchange, making technological advancement difficult.

In contrast, China had vast plains and rivers that facilitated active exchange, and weapons and technology developed through warfare and competition. South America was the opposite.

Why Did the Aztec Empire Practice Such Brutal Religion?

What particularly stands out in Aztec civilization is human sacrifice—the practice of offering living people as sacrifices to gods. The scale was enormous, with records suggesting over 20,000 people were sacrificed annually.

Why were they so brutal?

The key lies in the combination of religion and politics. “Politics needs religion.” The Aztec Empire used religion as a tool of governance.

Their core doctrine was: “The gods desire blood. Human blood pleases the gods.” They sacrificed people atop temples until blood flowed down, and by sanctifying this process, they subdued surrounding tribes and secured legitimacy for their rule.

Many victims were prisoners from other tribes, though some reportedly volunteered as sacrifices. This religious system helped redirect internal dissatisfaction outward and prevented resistance against the emperor.

Was the Aztec Capital Really a Floating City?

Yes. The Aztec capital Tenochtitlan was located where Mexico City stands today, built on artificial islands created in a lake. However, no blueprints or detailed records of this city remain. Most of what we know comes from estimates based on oral accounts left by Spanish conquistadors.

Why Did Maya Civilization Suddenly Collapse?

The Maya were already in decline when the Spanish arrived. City ruins show evidence of large populations, but when Spanish forces arrived, hardly anyone was left. Why they declined remains a mystery. There are only various theories involving climate change, civil war, and environmental destruction.

Did the Inca Only Leave Behind Machu Picchu?

The Inca Empire was centered in present-day Peru, with Machu Picchu being its most famous ruin. Instead of writing, the Inca used knotted strings (Khipu) to record information, with most history passed down orally. What we know about the Inca today mostly comes from legends Spanish people heard from natives or accounts compiled later.

The Arrival of Iberian Peninsula Nations in South America

With the Age of Exploration, Spain and Portugal reached South America. Mistaking this place for ‘India,’ they began calling the natives Indios (the same as ‘Indians’ in English). Even after learning this wasn’t India, the term stuck and continued to be used as a proper noun.

Subsequently, Spain and Portugal occupied all of South America, mobilizing natives and African slaves for mining and plantation agriculture. As European immigrants flocked in and businesspeople expanded their operations, South America was completely absorbed as European colonies.

The Parallel Theory of American and South American Independence?

The process of American birth that we know—British immigration → coup (War of Independence) → founding of America—something similar happened in South America too.

White settlers from the Iberian Peninsula immigrated → independence movements → birth of South American nations

This story will continue in the next installment.