Latin American Peoples Win Independence

Chapter 8 Section 1

Goals and Objectives

• Upon completion, students should be able to1) Identify the elements of colonial society that caused

unrest in Latin America2) Explain how Haiti won independence3) Identify the importance of Simon Bolivar, and Jose de

San Martin4) Describe the ways in which Latin American nations

gained independence5) Connect the Enlightenment to Latin American

independence.

The social divisions of Latin America

• Latin American society was divided into the following:

• Peninsulares- people born in Spain, only a small percent of the population.

• Creoles- Spaniards born in Latin America, they could not hold office but could serve in the military.

• Mestizos- persons of mixed European and Indian ancestry.

• Mulattos- people of mixed European and slaves.

Revolutions in Latin America

• Saint Domingue (now Haiti)-was the first Latin American nation to free itself from European control.

• Toussaint L’Overture- led 100,000 slaves to revolt against France.

• In 1801, he led a revolt that took control of the island but was later captured and sent to prison.

• Jean Jacques Dessalines- took command of the former slaves army and successfully broke away from France.

Creoles and independence

• Creoles, many were educated and learned of the enlightenment after traveling to Europe.

• Locke’s ideas of the governing by the consent of the people appealed to the Creoles especially after Napoleon invaded Spain and put his own brother in power.

• Soon Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin appeared as independence leaders.

Simon Bolivar

• Venezuelan born Creole who in 1811 declared Venezuela independent of Spain.

• Revolt broke out and twice Bolivar was exiled before returning.

• In 1819 he led 2,000 troops over the Andes and stunned Spanish troops in a decisive victory.

• By 1821, Venezuela was freed and he pushed towards

Ecuador.

Jose de San Martin

• Declared Argentina independent in 1816.• In 1817 he led troops toward Spanish controlled Chile

where he freed it.• By 1821, he set out for Peru where he met Bolivar and

agreed to turn his troops over the Bolivar to command. • By 1824, Peru was unified.

Mexico and independence

• In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo, a catholic priest who believed in the enlightenment let out a call known as grito de Delores. This began the rebellion.

• Soon he massed an army of 80,000 pushing towards Mexico City.

• Spain defeated Hidalgo but the revolution had started.

Jose Maria Morelos

• Replaced the defeated Hidalgo and led the rebellion before being defeated by Creole officer Agustin de Iturbide.

Mexican independence

• Liberals took control of Spain in 1820• Agustin Iturbide declared Mexico independent in

1821 after creoles feared losing privilege.• Central American nations also declared

themselves independent but Iturbide refused to recognize their independence.

• Later Iturbide was overthrown and each nation broke away.

Brazilian independence

• In 1807, Napoleon invaded Portugal and its ruling family led by Prince John escaped to Brazil where they continued to rule for the next 14 years.

• In 1815 after Napoleon was defeated, King John’s son, Dom Pedro remained with a plan to continue to rule it as a colony.

• In 1822 creoles demanded its independence and he agreed freeing it without blood being shed.