Tough question - I HAVE AN ANSWER.

[Skizio]

Why did South America become dependent on foreign economies and the United States did not? What was different about the two that caused this?

Just something I've been wondering...

They blindly followed anyone who would lead them.  

[Alonso Quijana]

Frankly, I don't know. Sorry.  

[shirofoxes]

Hmmm.... Well, I'll give it my best shot! I don't know too much about S America, though

Firstly, are we discussing just the United States or all of North America?
If it's just the USA vs. S America, it's because we are one country with many states that have varied and useful resources while they are many countries which have been bogged down by civil war. Also, I don't know how well crops and other things grow there compared to here.

If if North America vs. South America, I'm not sure. It may be because we have only three countries in N America while S America has quite a few. Also, we're at peace with our neighboring countries here. Over there it may not be so.

I think the main reason it that some of those countries are still tied to Europe, mostly Spain. They may not have declared independence the way we have, and they are still governed by their 'mother countries'.  

[Skizio]

Shiro_Kitsune_San

Hmmm.... Well, I'll give it my best shot! I don't know too much about S America, though

Firstly, are we discussing just the United States or all of North America?
If it's just the USA vs. S America, it's because we are one country with many states that have varied and useful resources while they are many countries which have been bogged down by civil war. Also, I don't know how well crops and other things grow there compared to here.

If if North America vs. South America, I'm not sure. It may be because we have only three countries in N America while S America has quite a few. Also, we're at peace with our neighboring countries here. Over there it may not be so.

I think the main reason it that some of those countries are still tied to Europe, mostly Spain. They may not have declared independence the way we have, and they are still governed by their 'mother countries'.

United States vs. SA.
I mean, we know why South America is pretty much backwards right now, and places like Mexico are in some deep s**t, (pardonnez mon français) and that can be blamed on countries that have already become industrialized exploiting them to gain raw materials and not allowing them to develop, but why didn't this happen to the US is my question. What was different about it that it didn't become like that?

I think it's the fact that it's smaller in comparison to SA, and the revolution included the people on the bottom, being spurred on by those on the top. In South America, the people on top were somewhat reluctant...GAH. Just rambling here a bit...
gonk  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

actually economically wise Mexico is in good conditions, one problem is that they did not generate many jobs, but that's all changing last year alone jobs increase in Mexico by like 20%. all this being said and done another problem is that the Mexican government has been exploiting it's people and taking Mexico's money for the last 50 years or so, although this is all changing slowly it has had a big impact on Mexico over that time, case in point they are not where they should be industrially Wise sad . the same thins has happened to all other countries i south America, but it looks like they are going though a lot more truble (some not others).  

[the grey seer]

we help others more than ourselves  

[Doctor_Orc]

It has to do with several factors. One of which as the way the original colonies were established.
The colonies Britain used were self sufficient, at least to a certain degree. These colonies/settlements received shipments of goods from time to time in exchange for raw material are products they produced in the colonies. Of course Britain, to keep a tight grasp on its colonies made the prices a bit too expensive, and had some weird taxes.
You see, in North America, we can consider that most of the land was virgin land, with a lot of small roaming communities, which were never really used for slave labor.
So in North America everything was built from the ground up in image of the old country, a kind of new Europe. Also, it’s a lot closer to Europe by boat than Central America or South America

In Central America there were already settlements before the colonist arrived. They just infiltrated the already established cities and turn things around in their favor. Reorganized the system and imposed weird laws and rules. In South America things were a bit different, at least in Brazil.
The problem was that in Central and South America there was never a real independence, just decolonization. Sometimes a very sour one, that cut all ties with the occupying country.
But the “elite” of those countries, most of the times with political ideal, were educated in an European fashion. They were used to certain luxuries that weren’t available there. Also, with their “superior” knowledge, these “elite” soon arose to power and kept ruling their countries like the colonist did.
Central and south America Colonies were not built to be independent countries, but to be extensions of the occupying country. They weren’t able to stand alone. And there were a lot of “vultures” just waiting to take advantage of this. Instead of helping, they “helped” (and still do) themselves to those countries resources in exchange for something.
2Give a man a fish and he’ll have food for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll always have food.”  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

Mexico is slowly rising out of that problem, and the problem for the south American countries has now become civil war and drugs, and most of the time those tho things are connected, the way i see it the countries are already able to be self sufficient but can't for those two problems, and corrupt governments.  

[the grey seer]

when they get better they shouuld pay us bac a couple of mil  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

actually Mexico has been paying this country steadily over the last 20 or so years, with thousands of barrels of crude oil and other resources. all this payments are according to the treasury's arrangements so Mexico is paying it's debt the way the US is asking.  

[the grey seer]

really  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

yea, Mexico's silver mines aren't just mine for no reason, also the oil Mexico drils is always coming here, the debt is almost paid of.  

[the grey seer]

man i really need 2 pay more attention to my cousin's reports  

[creampies2135]

The exploitation of S America has been going on for a long time. It is interesting to note that N America believed S America to be its 'backyard' thus cheap resources could be gained from them and also explains why the US went to so much trouble to ensure places like Guatamala, which supplied N America with cheap sugar cane and fruit would stay in weak capitalist and American control.
It probably hasn't helped that the countries were never united, nor were set up in order to be independent. Your analogy of the vultures is very apt.

I believe I have history on the brain.....