Local Histories

By Tim Lambert INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN BRAZIL The first human beings entered Brazil after 10,000 BC. They were hunter-gatherers. Among other animals, they hunted manatees. They also fished in the rivers and near the coasts, they collected shellfish. The first Brazilians also collected plants. After 1,000 BC some people in Brazil were changing to a… Continue reading A Short History of Brazil

By Tim Lambert Early Chile The first human beings arrived in Chile at about 12,000 BC. At first, people lived by hunting and gathering but in North Chile, they were farming by 2,500 BC. However, agriculture began much later in Southern Chile. The Incas conquered northern Chile in the 15th century but they were themselves… Continue reading A Short History of Chile

By Tim Lambert Early Colombia For thousands of years before Europeans arrived Amerindians lived in what is now Colombia. Some lived by fishing and hunting but some lived by farming. The first Spaniard to land in the area was Alonso de Ojeda in 1500. However, there was no permanent Spanish settlement until 1533 when Cartagena… Continue reading A Short History of Colombia

By Tim Lambert Early Ecuador The native people of Ecuador grew crops of maize, beans, potatoes, and squash. They kept dogs and guinea pigs for meat. Many of them were skilled potters and metalworkers in gold, silver, and copper. However, in the late 15th century they were conquered by the Incas. The Spaniards first sighted… Continue reading A Short History of Ecuador

By Tim Lambert Early Paraguay Before the Spanish arrived in Paraguay it was inhabited by people called the Guarani. They were farmers. The Spanish arrived in the region in the 16th century and the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion was founded in 1537. Paraguay became independent of Spain in 1811 and Jose Gaspar Rodriguez Francis became… Continue reading A Short History of Paraguay

By Tim Lambert The Chavin in Peru By about 2,500 BC people in what is now, Peru began farming. By about 1,800 BC they were making pottery. The first South American civilization was the Chavin. It arose in what is now Peru in about 900 BC. The Chavin did not invent writing but they were… Continue reading A Short History of Peru

By Tim Lambert Early Uruguay In 1516 a Spaniard named Juan Diaz de Solis became the first European to reach Uruguay. In the 16th century, the Spanish took Argentina while Portugal took Brazil. What is now Uruguay was between them but its lack of mineral wealth meant that for a long time both nations took… Continue reading A Short History of Uruguay

By Tim Lambert Early Venezuela For centuries the indigenous peoples of Venezuela lived by farming but also by hunting and fishing. Then in 1498, Christopher Columbus became the first European to reach Venezuela. In 1499 a Spaniard named Alonso de Ojeda led another expedition to the area. He called it Venezuela, meaning little Venice, after… Continue reading A Short History of Venezuela