Latin American Independence Leaders
An article on Jose Maria Morelos and Simon Bolivar
Jose Maria Morelos
Morelos was born September 30 1765 in Valladolid, Mexico. He grew up in the lower class, belonging with the mestizos, where he, and the majority of his afro-mexican family, worked on a farm. As he got older, he, and the rest of Mexico, wanted to fight to remove all class and race distinctions. From 1811-1815 Morelos was in overall military command of Mexico's Independence movement. He had a lot of ideas to help this fight be successful. A smart idea of his was he would reject recruits who worked in the field because he would have them raise food for his soldiers, so they could stay healthy while fighting. Also he made his army small, so they were well-armed and very disciplined which made them able to move fast, and attack without the enemy being warned. Morelos couldn't be representing his independence, and equal rights for all Mexicans because he was fighting in the fields, so he had hired representatives to help him out. In November of 1815, Congress was on the move and Morelos was to lead them. The Spanish had caught them, and started a battle where they captured Morelos sending him to Mexico city where he was executed on December 22. The State of Morelos and City of Morelia are named after him. He also has a stadium, streets, and parks named after him too. The image of him is all over coins, and several bills throughout Mexico's history. His fight for independence will live on along with other liberation heros.
Simon Bolivar
Bolivar was born on July 24 1783 in Caracas, New Granada which today is known as Venezuela. He was born as a Creolle, into a high class family that got their money from rich gold and copper mines that they owned. After Napoleon had named Joseph Bonaparte King of Spain and its colonies, which had included control over Venezuela, he, along with the rest of the South American countries, wanted to fight for their independence creating the resistance movement. In Columbia he began a very successful military campaign, attempting to liberate Venezuela, and restoring the Venezuelan republic. He was able to go Venezuela and begin a long campaign called 'the admirable campaign' to have the Spanish lose control of Venezuela. In 1821 his successful military campaigns were able to make him president of the Gran Columbia which helped him proceed to liberate Peru. He was able to defeat the Spanish in 1824, and give freedom to Bolivia, Panamá, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and of course Venezuela. On December 17 1830 Bolivar died in Santa Marta, Colombia after battling tuberculosis. Several cities, and towns are named after him for his honor along with various roads and statues. All of these can be found in the Americas, Egypt, Australia, and Turkey.