Latin American Revolutions 

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Background:

Geography:

  • Andes Mountains
  • Amazon River
  • Rain Forests
      * All Isolated people (Problems with being United)

Countries in Latin America:

  • Spain→ Mexico, and many others in South America like Argentina, and Venezuela
  • France → Haiti, and some others in South America
  • Portugal→ Brazil

Causes:

  • Enlightenment ideas were spreading from the French Rev.
  • Napoleon put his brother (Joseph Bonaparte) in charge which made the people less loyal to Spain since he wasn’t Spanish.
  • Inequality in races and social classes
  • Rise in Nationalism.

Social Classes: (In order)

  1. Peninsulares- Spanish born in Spain (Could hold government offices)
  2. Creoles- Spanish born in Latin America (Could not hold government offices)
  3. Mestizos- Mixed between Spanish and Native people.
  4. Mulattos- Mixed between Spanish and Slaves
  5. Slaves- People brought from Africa to do free work
  6. Indians- Native people from the Americas

   
   1. The Creoles were upset that they couldn’t hold offices because it didn’t make sense. They were a big reason for the revolutions.

Encomienda system- Using natives as free labor

The Revolutions:

Venezuela:

  • Simon Bolivar
      * A Creole in Venezuela
      * Fought against Spain and freed Venezuela in 1821
      * Also freed Colombia, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile
      * The Nation of Bolivia was named after him.

Argentina:

  • Jose de San Martin
      * Freed Argentina from Spain
      * His goal was to get Spain out of South America for good

Mexico:

  • Was fought by the lower class, more than the Creoles.
  • Miguel Hidalgo
      * Starter of the Mexican War of Independence.
      * Made a speech called, the “Cry of Dolores”
  • Jose Maria Morelos
      * Took over the fight after Hidalgo
  • Mexico gained independence in 1821, on the 16th of September.
      * It’s the Mexican war of Independence, as the Mexican Revolution is something very different.

Brazil:

  • Was owned by Portugal.
  • The King and Queen ruled from Brazil during a war
  • When they returned to Portugal, the son stayed, and they gave the land to him
      * Creating Brazil.

Haiti:

  • Toussaint Louverture
      * Read the, “Declaration of the Rights Of Man”
        * Thought it meant the slaves were free too
      * He then started the revolution, and Napoleon thought it was a waste of time and freed them.

Next Lesson: Industrial Revolution