Discover the people, events, milestones, and landmarks in the history of South America from European contact to their independence.

This two-volume encyclopedia provides entries on many of the key people, places, and events essential to the last 500 years of South American history, from the Cajamarca Encounter of 1532 to the independence of Suriname in 1975. With entries on the indigenous peoples of countries such as Argentina and Uruguay, the major geographic landmarks from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon River, and on cities from Buenos Aires to Quito, this encyclopedia provides students and researchers alike a valuable guide to South American history, geography, and culture.

The volumes comprise entries on various South American colonies and countries; events and places; groups, organizations, and industries; independence movements; individuals; objects and artifacts; and organizations and administrations. Primary source document excerpts, a timeline, and original maps provide readers with a direct connection to the past and inspire historical inquiry.

This comprehensive encyclopedia offers a window to the past, showing how the South America of the present came to be.