The Representation of Guatemala at the World’s Fairs in the Late Nineteenth Century

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Almengor, C. (2015). The Representation of Guatemala at the World’s Fairs in the Late Nineteenth Century. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

The Representation of Guatemala at the World’s Fairs in the Late Nineteenth Century is a case study among many Latin American countries’ desire to display modernity in an attempt to rid of any uncivilized notoriety. This thesis juxtaposes Guatemala’s participation at the 1889 IV Universal Exposition in Paris, the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and the 1897 Central American Exposition in Guatemala alongside the ideological, social, political, and economic events from post-independence to the late 1890s. It is important to clarify the identity of Guatemalan elites, why they wanted to modernize the country with European ideals, what were their intentions with indigenous groups, and how they transformed the country into a major coffee exporter. Doing so reveals why and how German investors became coffee plantation owners as well as how the Guatemalan government facilitated appropriation and exploitation of land and indigenous labor. The World’s Fairs offers a cultural perspective to examine the Guatemala case study. The Parisian fair offered elites the opportunity to display modern coffee production techniques juxtaposed to the few Pre-Columbian artifacts in their German-themed pavilion. Prize-winning coffee exhibits gave Guatemala impetus to exhibit at the World’s Columbian Exposition, and to later host the Central American Exposition. During Guatemala’s participation at the Chicago fair and the infrastructure improvements in preparation to host a fair, there is a shift from German to American relations through friendly diplomatic exchange that determined the fate of Guatemala in the twentieth century. This thesis argues Guatemala portrayed itself as a Europeanized, modern country eager to offer skilled indigenous labor and fertile lands for foreign investment through the World’s Fairs. I also make the claim that Guatemala’s shift from German to U.S. economic interest can be traced during the 1890’s.

Details
Author

Almengor, Candie

Title

The Representation of Guatemala at the World’s Fairs in the Late Nineteenth Century

Physical Description

1 online resource (118 pages) : PDF

Date

2015

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

The Representation of Guatemala at the World’s Fairs in the Late Nineteenth Century is a case study among many Latin American countries’ desire to display modernity in an attempt to rid of any uncivilized notoriety. This thesis juxtaposes Guatemala’s participation at the 1889 IV Universal Exposition in Paris, the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and the 1897 Central American Exposition in Guatemala alongside the ideological, social, political, and economic events from post-independence to the late 1890s. It is important to clarify the identity of Guatemalan elites, why they wanted to modernize the country with European ideals, what were their intentions with indigenous groups, and how they transformed the country into a major coffee exporter. Doing so reveals why and how German investors became coffee plantation owners as well as how the Guatemalan government facilitated appropriation and exploitation of land and indigenous labor. The World’s Fairs offers a cultural perspective to examine the Guatemala case study. The Parisian fair offered elites the opportunity to display modern coffee production techniques juxtaposed to the few Pre-Columbian artifacts in their German-themed pavilion. Prize-winning coffee exhibits gave Guatemala impetus to exhibit at the World’s Columbian Exposition, and to later host the Central American Exposition. During Guatemala’s participation at the Chicago fair and the infrastructure improvements in preparation to host a fair, there is a shift from German to American relations through friendly diplomatic exchange that determined the fate of Guatemala in the twentieth century. This thesis argues Guatemala portrayed itself as a Europeanized, modern country eager to offer skilled indigenous labor and fertile lands for foreign investment through the World’s Fairs. I also make the claim that Guatemala’s shift from German to U.S. economic interest can be traced during the 1890’s.

Genre

masters theses

Subjects--Topics

Area studies
History

Subjects--Places

Latin America

Degree

M.A.

Keywords

Coffee
Guatemala
Nineteenth Century
World's Fairs

Subject Area

Latin American Studies

Advisor(s)

Buchenau, Jürgen

Committee Members

Weeks, Gregory
Soliz, Carmen
Prasad, Ritika

Degree Note

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2015.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Almengor_uncc_0694N_10875

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:417