Question

What were the social causes for the rubber trade?

Answer 1

The Amazon Rubber Boom (Portuguese: Ciclo da borracha [ˈsiklu dɐ buˈʁaʃɐ], 1879 to 1912) was an important part of the economic and social history of Braziland Amazonian regions of neighboring countries, being related to the extraction and commercialization of rubber. Centered in the Amazon Basin, the boom resulted in a large expansion of European colonization in the area, attracting immigrant workers, generating wealth, causing cultural and social transformations, and wreaking havoc upon indigenous societies. It encouraged the growth of cities such as Manaus, Porto Velho, and Belém, capitals within the respective Brazilian states of Amazonas, Rondônia and Pará; as well as the expansion of Iquitos in Peru. The rubber boom occurred largely between 1879 and 1912. There was heightened rubber production and associated activities from 1942 to 1945 during the Second World War.