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From Silver to Tin
There is no way around it. Bolivia had worse luck than most countries in Latin America. Dense populations of fully sedentary indigenous farmers made it one of the great heartlands of America. Bolivia's main indigenous language, Aymara, rivals Quecha as an important Andean tongue. A place of natural and human wealth, the great mine at Potosí was the richest place in all of Spain's global empire of the 1600s. During the colonial period, it was called Upper Peru, at first under the control of Lima, later under the control of Buenos Aires. In 1824, it was the last Spanish-controlled territory liberated by the army of Simon Bolivar, from whom Bolivia takes its modern name. Bolivia has fought in several international wars, and lost all of them, most notably to Chile. In the 1880s, Chile took the narrow strip of Pacific coast that linked Bolivia to the sea, leaving it landlocked. Today most of Bolivia's imports and exports must cross its former territory with Chilean permission. Finally, whereas it was once synonymous with silver, the country's primary mining industry of the twentieth century exported a much less valuable metal, tin.
If Bolivia had not lost its seacoast to Chile, its geography would follow the layout exemplified by Peru and Ecuador: coastal plain on the Pacific side, Andean highlands in the middle, Amazonian lowlands to the east. The Andean highlands of Bolivia constitute an especially wide and flat plateau, or altiplano in Spanish. These highlands were the main focus of Spanish colonization in what is today Bolivia. Sloping down to the east from the altiplano is a warmer region of Andean ridges and valleys, where the pleasant city of Cochabamba is located. Bolivia's eastern plains, on the edge of the Amazon basin, center economically on the thriving city of Santa Cruz.
Topics:
Questions for Analysis and Further Reflection:
- How does Bolivia's history demonstrate that rich colonies do not easily become rich nations?
- How do recent political developments in Bolivia reflect lingering memories of the country's historical experience?
Country Bibliography: (Titles with ** are good starting places.)
Alexander, Robert J. Bolivia: Past, Present, and Future of Its Politics. With a foreword
by Robert Wesson. New York: Praeger; Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1982.
In this short, older survey, Alexander focuses on political and economic history since independence (1825). An index is included, but references to bibliography are minimal. It is most useful for details of twentieth-century Bolivian politics.
Fifer, J. Valerie. Bolivia: Land, Location, and Politics Since 1825. Cambridge Latin
American Studies 13. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1972.
A dated scholarly treatment of Bolivian politics and economy from independence (1825) to the mid twentieth century. Chapters correspond to three main regional areas and historical developments that distinguish these. Many maps, a readable introduction, and a complete index make this book a useful reference.
Klein, Herbert S. A Concise History of Bolivia. New York: Cambridge University Press,
2003.
A very accessible survey of Bolivian history from Pre-Columbian civilization to the late twentieth century, attending to political and economic evolution as well as social and cultural characteristics and developments. Particular emphasis is given to the period since independence. Includes statistical tables and a bibliographical essay.
Morales, Waltraud Q. A Brief History of Bolivia. New York: Facts on File, 2003.
A readable overview of Bolivian history from late-Pre-Columbian society to the first years of the present century. Selections from primary and secondary sources are interspersed throughout the text to allow readers to focus their historical perspective on certain points. The book includes illustrations, tables and maps, a bibliography and index, and a list of suggested readings.
Morales, Waltraud Q. Bolivia: Land of Struggle. Boulder: Westview Press, 1992.
Devotes particular attention to following the thread of popular struggle through twentieth-century politics, economics, and social movements. Tables, photographs, and a bibliography and an index accompany the narrative.
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