Wilhelm...what do you think, would be the last possible year of SP era in Centeral & S. Americia?
Good question. I have never really given it a thought.
Let me start by re-stating the one Latin American country for which I have defined a Steampunk Era . For "Spanish North America" (Mexico) the period either starts in the 1860s, when the French invade and install Maximilian, because it overlaps with the American Civil War, and there's some limited interaction with the United States, and I call this the Extended Steampunk Period (allows meshing of military history to European Steampunk Era), and otherwise it can be defined as a proper "Industrial Steampunk Period" starting with the term of President Porfirio Díaz in 1876 enveloping the introduction of locomotives, massive migration from Europe and ending concurrently with the end of the Mexican Civil War, 1920. Since Mexico participated in WWII, their Diesel Period ends on 1945.
Mexico Extended Steampunk Period, 1864-1920,
Industrial Steampunk Period, 1876-1920
Diesel Period, 1920-1945
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The dates for South America parallel Mexico's somewhat, but the start is more sketchy and arbitrary. Several nations Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Perú had a common independence history and a series of internal conflicts as civil wars, which ended with a unified country of Argentina in 1862. Afterwards you see wars between these countries, where territories were defined and they begin to diverge in 1880 when the Argentine armed forces turn inward under President Julio Argentino Roca to fight the natives, clearing land in the desert, which allowed massive migration from Europe to take place.
It is at that point that railroad technology came in force (it had been introduced in the 1860s), and Argentina's economy boomed with exports, making a wealthy nation way above other Latin American nations until 1916, when the last president of their prosperous Era was elected (the tenure of President Hipólito Yrigoyen ended in 1930 with a crisis brought about by the US Great Depression, thus ending explosive growth.) So I'll define the end as 1916 (but 1918 is valid, I think on a cultural basis). Since Argentina was the most influential Spanish speaking country in the region, I'll say that should be the date for smaller Spanish speaking countries outside of Brazil, which is culturally different, and Mexico which is in North America. Afterwards, that would be their Dieselpunk Period, which includes the first tenure of Juan Domingo Perón until 1951.
For South America (except Brazil)
Extended Steampunk Period 1862 - 1916/18
Industrial Steampunk Period, 1880-1916/18,
and 1918-1951 is the South American Dieselpunk Period.
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For Brazil, you also have two possible start dates, an extended Steampunk Period and an Industrial Steampunk Period, when the nation begins to look more modernized.
The Extended Steampunk Period starts during civil wars and uprisings against monarchy in which a European insurrectionist, namely Giuseppe Garibaldi was lending support to the cessesion movement in Brazil. At the time, Brazil was a monarchy started by a prince of Portugal, Prince Pedro de Alcantara, who became Regent of Brazil, in 1821, and Emperor of Brazil, Don Pedro I in 1822, after declaring independence from Portugal. The relevant war of cessesion where Brazil interacted with Garibaldi would be the "Ragamuffin War" (Portuguese: Guerra dos Farrapos or, more commonly Revolução Farroupilha) in 1835. Garibaldi joined the war in 1836.
The Industrial Steampunk Period probably starts when King Dom Pedro II was deposed by a military junta in November 1889 (In 1893 the first civilian republican government was established).
Brazil participated in WWI, which means that without another major conflict or political change, 1918 becomes the end of the Steampunk Era and the start of the Diesel Era. They also participated in WWII, on the Allied side, after entering a dispute with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, so their Diesel Period ends in 1945.
So for Brazil,
Extended Steampunk Period is 1836-1918 (rather early mostly because of Garibaldi, this is very arbitrary for me to define I can't grasp a better date, I'd prefer something in the 1860s more in line with Argentina),
Industrial Steampunk Period is 1889-1918,
and the Diesel Period is 1918-1945.
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For Central America it's much more difficult to define, as they were and still are much less developed than the other two regions. However I would include Guatemala with Mexico, because during the early years after independence for a brief time Guatemala was part of Mexico.
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I think that safely the end of WWI is a valid date for South America, generally speaking. Mexico was caught in a Civil War that did not end until 1920, and that extended their period, while South America could enjoy peace and listen to the newfangled jazz since 1918.
Brazilian Magazine "Para Todos" 16 July, 1927
