Latin American Independence
An Age of Revolution 1750-1914
Resentment
Colonials resented political, social, and economical injustices of the colonial rule of which system was based on strict racism.
Enligtenment
The Enligtenment ideas that all the people have equal rights and the government's power is subject to the ruled stimulated Latin Americans to rebel against the colonial rule.
Napoleon
The success of the revolutions showed that colonies could get independence from mother countries, and Napoleon's invasion weakened the power of mother nations.
3 Causes of Latin American Independence Movement
Complicated factors contributed to the independence movements in Latin America.
First of all, the colonials resented the colonial rule which litmited trade with other nations and deprived their economic advantages and racist system of the society in which only penninsulars who derectly came from motehr countries and took very small portion of the entire population held political authorities and wealth. Especially creoles, decendents of these Europeans but born in the colonies, who often had a large amount of fortunes and were well-educated were discontented with their second-class status.
The spread of Enligtenment ideas throughout Latin America also contributed to rebels against mother countries by changing peoples' mindset. Colonials were affected by the ideas of many enligtenment philosophers of Europe that the government was based on a contract between the ruler and the ruled, and if the government did violate the natural rights of the people, the citizens had right to rebel against it, which overthrew the former belief in 'divine right' of the king. People started to think they should not bear the injustices of the colonial rule.
More direct cause was Napoleon's invasion of mother countries. After Napolen crowned himself emperor of France in 1804, he invaded Spain and Portugal in an attempt to rule all of the Europe and ousted their kings. Colonials considered this as a chance to achieve independence from the weaken countries.
Besides these, Latin Americans were inspired by the success of revolutions in the United States and France which demonstrated the colonies could get independence from more powerful mother countries.
Jean-Andoche Junot
A French army officer who commanded the invasion of Portugal in 1807.
The Third of May 1808
A painting by Goya which describes the brutality of the battles in Peninsular War.
Napoeon I
He overthrew monarchies in Spain and Portugal which led to Peninsular War.
Peninsular War (1808 - 1814)
At the height of his power, Napoleon invaded Spain and Portugal in 1807 and annexed the Papal States. However, with the growth of nationalism and hatred to the French rule, Spanish and Portugals rebelled with guerrila warfare tactics against it which led the Peninsular War in Spain and Portugal from 1808 to 1814. This long and burtal war brought disorder in Spain and Portugal which caused revolts among the colonies in Latin America.
Toussaint L'Ouverture
He led revolts against France for abolishment of slavery and independence of Haiti.
Clash at Ravine à Couleuvre
Toussaint L'Ouverture fought with French forces in Ravine à Couleuvre, during the Haitian Revolution.
Long for Freedom
Enslaved Africans who longed for freedom fought for Haitian independnece agains France.
Haitian Independence
Enslaved Africans and free Mulattos who are decendants of European and Africans of the French colony of Saint-Domingue rebelled against the French rule for the abolishment of slavery and the independence of Haiti from 1791 to 1804. Toussaint L'Ouvture, a great general who was born a slave, led slave revolts and defeated French troops in 1791. As a result, France abolished slavery in 1793, and Haitian leaders declared independence in 1804.
Mexican Revolt of 1810
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla had led revolts for Mexican independence since 1810.
Augustín de Iturbide
He united rebel forces and overthrew the Spanish viceroy which resulted in Indepence of Mexico.
José María Morelos
He continued the struggle for Mexican independence following Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.
Mexican Independence
Father Miguel Hidalgo and José María Morelos led popular revolts which elites did not join.
However, angered by Spanish reforms that took their privileges under the control of a Liberal legislature in 1820, the elites which included the Mexican military, clergy, and merchants joined in the rebels for an independent Mexico. Agustin de Iturbide overthrew the Spanish viceroy with the united forces and created an independent Mexico on September 28, 1821. Iturbide took the title of emperor, but was quickly overthrown and liberal Mexicans set up the Republic of Mexico.
Central American Independence
After Napoleon I 's invasion in Spain, liberals in Spanish colonies in Centural America saw the weakened control over them as a opportunity to get independence from Spain, resented the limited economic advantages due to Spanish rule while conservatives remained loyal to the Spanish king. In the early 1820s, all the Spanish colonies in Central America declared independence without bloodshed, and local leaders set up the United Provinces of Central America. However, the union soon fragmented into seperate republics of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.
The Liberator
Simón Bolívar were called 'The Liberator' since he liberated many colonies in Latin America from the Spanish rule.
Simón Bolívar
This painting describes Bolívar fighting in a war against Spanish troops for independence of the countries including Veneszuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
Venezuelan independence
Francisco de Miranda and Simón Bolívar signed the Declaration of Independence for Venezuela from Spain on July 5, 1811.
Simón Bolívar's liberation of Venezuela
Native Americans had rebelled for their independence against spain since the 1700s in South America, but it had little impact. However, the growing discontent sparked a widespread drive for independence in 1800s.
Simón Bolívar, one of the greatest Latin American revolutionary ledears, led an uprising and established a republic in Venezuela. Then he liberated Bogota, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. He had dreamed a federated Latin America like the United States and formed Glan Columbia in a large area freed from Spain, but it split into three independent nations which were Venezuela, Coumbia, and Ecuador due to severe rivalries among them.
José de San Martín
José de San Martín led the rebellion against Spain that liberated Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
Battle of Chacabuco
José de San Martín defeated Spaniards in the Battle of Chacabuco and declared Chile's independence.
Andes Mountains
San Martín led his soldiers to pass Andes Mountains to defeat Spain forces in Chile and Peru with his great leadership.
Jose de San Martín's liberation of Argentina
In 1816, Jose de San Martín helped Argentina win freedom from Spain. Then he joined with Bernardo O'Higgins for Chilean independence. In 1817, San Martín and O'Higgins led an army thorugh high passes in the Andes Mountains into Chile. They defeated surpirsed Spaniards in Chile in the Battle of Chacabuco and declared Chile's independence. In 1820, San Martín led an army to Peru and declared independence of Peru in 1821. The next year, he had a discussion with Simón Bolívar of which contents were still unkown. After the meeting, San Martín gave up his commend and left Bolívar to continue the fight for Latin American Independence.
Battle of Ayacucho
On December 9, 1824, the outnumbered army of patriots led by Simón Bolívar and Bolivian general Antonio de Sucre defeated the loyalist forces at Ayacucho in the Peruvian highlands despite the disadvantageous conditions. It was the last battle of the wars of Spanish independence which had begun in 1810.
Acclamation
Pedro I becomes emperor of Brazil
Independence
Pedro I declares Brazilian independence
Nationalism
Brazilian epic poem reflecting nationalist sentiment
Independence of Brazil
In the early 1800s, royal family of Portugal fled to Brazil when Napoleon's troops invaded Portugal. Returning to Portugal in 1820, the king left his son, Pedro, to rule the colony. Influenced for Brazil's independence, Pedro came to declare the independnce of Brazil against Portugal and crowned himself emperor, Pedro I, on September 7, 1822. As Portugal admitted its independence three years later, Brazil gained the independence without bloodshed.
Effects of the independence
The colonial rule ended in much of Latin America and 18 independent republics set up. However, these new countries had to encounter severe political, social, and economic disorder. Many people had died and many lands, factories, and farms were devastated during the war. The newly formed governments needed to achieve stable democracy and economic independence. However, many countries had failed to achieve the task.
Democracy was weak and military officers called caudillos held dictatorship supported by the upper classes who wanted to exclude the lower classes from power. Though the unequal trade relationship with Spain was over, their economies became dependent upon the trade with Great Britain and the United States. Social structures did not change much except for the fact that the creoles replaced the peninsulares at the top of the social pyraid.
Still those problems remained in Latin America and many countries continued struggling for achieving complete economic independence and stable societies.