Costa Rica, initially reconnoitered by the Spanish around the sixteenth century attempted to colonize Costa Rica but demonstrated unsuccessful due to a mix of elements, including sickness from mosquito, austere temperatures and resistance from the locals. It was not until the late 1500s that a permanent settlement of Cartago was …show more content…
The Spaniards were compelled to till the land alone and become autonomous ranchers as opposed to feudal lords, as in other countries in Central and South America, and in this manner, they became a rural country without a caste and no choice but to create a democracy. It is now known that on the eve of the Spaniards landfall there were actually upwards of 500,000 individuals living in Costa Rica, scattered all through the area in unmistakable social gatherings that demonstrated influences from both Mesoamerican and South American locals. As these social cliques gathered understanding and proficiency, their food supplies increased as did their populations. Their settlements eventually became more complex and sophisticated, leading to ethnic, social and agricultural divide, reflecting differences in tribes throughout the …show more content…
Initially politicians were the elite, providing social programs for the commoners. The common thread among the politicians was the establishment of national unity through social programs that incorporated all elements of the population into the nation. The government would promote the coffee industry, exempting minor growers from taxes and giving free plants to the upstarts. Coffee cultivation would transform Costa Rica from the poorest economy of Central Americas to the most prosperous nation. This prosperity would start the advancement of other social programs and productions that would be critical in deciding its democracy; and additionally developing the exclusive class of cafetaleros, who would come to overwhelm the political field until their demise after Costa Rica’s Civil War. The cafetaleros would provide Costa Rica with a flourishing trade with the United Kingdom, allowing the people of Costa Rica to increase their cost of living and social progress. While the coffee export profited the nation in general, the privatization and development of new coffee farms, led to the dispossession of the indigenous and poor working class forced further into the wilderness, marginalized, disregarded, and solidly rejected from the country’s recent financial riches and social structure. Despite the marginalization of the