ABSTRACT
The nineteenth century was the period in which the new countries of the western Atlantic established themselves as nations. For the first time, they began to prove a political hierarchy that would continue into the twentieth century, with the nations of the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, rapidly industrializing and prospering economically. The southern countries in Latin America, Brazil, and Africa were entering the world economy from an unequal basis and were beginning to increasingly lag behind in technology and wealth. Latin America lagged behind Canada, Europe, and the United States but experienced many of the same trends that occurred in northern America and Europe. The economies of Latin American states focused on exchanging raw materials for industrially manufactured products. Urban growth and modern infrastructure did develop in Latin America, including steamships, railroads, telegraphs, factories, and electricity.
