The Genesis of the Latin American State

Practice flashcards covering the transition of Latin American states from the colonial period through the rise and fall of Gran Colombia.

Nation (Cultural Identity)

A human community that shares cultural characteristics such as language, customs, national history, and heroes that provide a collective identity.

The State (Political Structure)

A set of institutions that shape a political organization through population, legal order, territory, and government.

The Enlightenment (La Ilustración)

Rational and critical thinking that promoted popular sovereignty and the division of powers.

The French Revolution

The diffusion of ideals such as liberty, equality, and fraternity, which questioned monarchical absolutism.

United States Independence

A successful example of an anti-colonial republic that influenced the concept of individual rights and constitutions.

Peninsulares

The social class in colonial America that held exclusive political and economic power.

Criollos

American-born descendants of Spaniards who held growing economic power but faced political limitations.

Mestizos

The social group in colonial America facing discrimination and limited opportunities.

Bourbon Reforms (Reformas Borbónicas)

Polices that increased peninsular control and fiscal burdens, generating resentment in the colonies.

Tratado de Fontainebleau

An agreement where Napoleon Bonaparte requested authorization from Spain to cross its territory to attack Portugal.

José Bonaparte

Napoleon's brother, who was imposed as the ruler of Spain after the removal of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII.

Enlightened Despotism (Despotismo Ilustrado)

A phase of centralized administration that sought to balance the king's power with social development.

Expulsion of the Jesuits (1767)

A measure within the Bourbon reforms considered a 'fatal error' of fiscal and administrative reorganization.

Battle of Pichincha (1822)

The battle that secured the freedom of Quito.

Battle of Carabobo (1821)

The battle that secured the freedom of Venezuela.

Battles of Junín and Ayacucho (1824)

Military engagements that secured the freedom of Peru and Bolivia.

Congress of Angostura (1819)

The assembly where the idea of the Republic of Colombia was formally born, uniting Venezuela and Nueva Granada.

Congress of Cúcuta (1821)

The official ratification of Gran Colombia, establishing a centralist government in Bogotá with three branches of power.

Francisco de Paula Santander

The Vice President of Gran Colombia known as 'The Man of the Laws' (El Hombre de las Leyes) and a defender of civilism.

Alcabala

A heavy sales tax inherited from the colonial era that was eliminated for national products by Santander.

Tributo Indígena

A specific tax or tribute forced upon indigenous populations that was officially abolished under Santander's social reforms.

Noche Septembrina (September 25th, 1828)

An assassination attempt against Simón Bolívar in the Presidential Palace carried out by 12 civilians and 25 soldiers.

Manuela Sáenz

Known as 'La Libertadora del Libertador' for helping Simón Bolívar escape through a window during the Noche Septembrina.

Militarism (Bolívar's Philosophy)

A vision of a strong centralist government backed by a regular army, featuring a lifelong presidency to maintain order.

Civilism (Santander's Philosophy)

The belief that the people should follow the rule of law and constitutional order rather than a caudillo.

Ley de Manumisión

Also known as 'Libertad de Vientres,' it established that children of slaves were born free but had to serve until age 18.

José Antonio Páez

The leader under whom Venezuela proclaimed its formal separation from Gran Colombia in January 1830.

Juan José Flores

The leader under whom Quito (Ecuador) separated from Gran Colombia in 1830.

December 17th, 1830

The date Simón Bolívar died of tuberculosis in Santa Marta, marking the end of the integrationist dream.