Long before the arrival of Christopher Columbus and before the incursions of the Spanish explorers and conquistadores in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Americas were home for thousands of years to a variety of civilizations and empires. As the understanding of agriculture improved and larger populations could be supported, small settlements grew into vast urban centres ruled by an aristocracy that was looked to—among other things—for propitiation of the gods. These civilizations waxed and waned (producing calendars and a writing system as well as huge building complexes) according to a natural order until the Spanish conquest. The resultant colonization wrought many changes, notably an overlay of the Spanish language, now the official language of most countries lying south of the United States. But less obviously, it brought cross-fertilization, a unique blending of local cultures with that of remote Spain and later of Africa as well, a melding that resulted in a distinctively Latin American style that was apparent in everything from art, dance, music, and literature to leadership.

We invite you to explore the people, places, events, and traditions that have shaped—and continue to shape—the vibrant Hispanic culture that thrives today in South, Central, and North America: people such as the gifted writer and Nobelist Octavio Paz, the talented dancer and choreographer Alicia Alonso, the celebrated liberator Simón Bolívar, the notorious dictator Augusto Pinochet, and the brilliant business leader Roberto Crispulo Goizueta; the various countries of Latin America; historical events such as the Mexican War (1846–48) and the Battle of Ayacucho (1824); and cultural celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo and the Day of the Dead.

Select a link on the left to begin your journey.