Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America

Although Latin America comprises many individual nations, those nations share similar histories and cultural elements; thus, it is apposite to construct a single history of the region: “Latin America was born in blood and fire, in conquest and slavery” (1). Latin America is a vast region of differing climates and landscapes, from arid deserts to tropical rainforests. It is a place of extreme inequalities and is perhaps the most ethnically diverse region in the world, comprising Europeans, Indigenous peoples, Africans, and Asians, though the first three are by far the most dominant. Latin America was the prime destination for most enslaved people from Africa. For example, the United States received approximately 523,000 enslaved people from Africa; Brazil received about 3.5 million.

Latin America has changed drastically since the 1950s and since the end of the Cold War. Globalization has made a tremendous impact not only economically but also socially, with many more Latin Americans moving to urban areas. Latin America was quite conservative before the new millennium with the vast majority of the population identifying as Catholic, even if they were not strict observers of the religion. Even though Latin America today is experiencing economic growth and relative political stability, it is still one of the most unequal regions regarding wealth distribution.