Latin American Independence Movements
Causes
Mercantilism: Trade and colonies were very important to Europe because they wanted wealth and benefits to the mother country while neglecting their colonies.
Cash Crop: A crop that is produced solely for the purpose of selling and profit.
Unfair Distribution of Wealth: Plantation owners became very wealthy while workers were very poor.
The Enlightenment: The belief that the government exists to protect peoples’ rights to life, liberty, and propery influenced the desire for revolution.
Rigid Social Class Structure:
Peninsulares (born on Iberian Peninusla)
Creoles (born in Americas with purely European descent)
Mestizos (mix of European and Native American) and Mulattoes (mix of European and African)
Africans (free and enslaved)
Native Americans
American and French Revolutions
Proved that revolution could lead to change.
Napoleonic Wars distracted Europeans powers from their colonies.
The middle educated class (Mestizos and Mulattoes) learned that their rights were being violated.
The Haitian Revolution
Haiti was a French colony known of as St. Dominique.
It was the first Latin American colony to win its independence.
Started out as a slave rebellion because slaves outnumbered their masters by 500,000.
Toussaint L’Ouverture was a former slave who emerged as the leader of the revolution.
In 1802, French troops landed on St. Dominique and L’Ouverture promised to stop the fighting if the French ended slavery.
Napoleon agreed to abolish slavery, but the movement became one for independence.
He was accused of plotting another rebellion and was imprisoned where he died in 1803.
On January 1, 1804, Haiti was declared an independent country.
Revolutions in the Spanish Colonies
Mexico: Miguel Hidalgo
Highly educated creole preist.
El Grito de Dolores (The Cry of Dolores) occured in September of 1810. Hidalgo called upon his mestizo and indigenous parishioners to take up arms against the Spanish.
He led an army to Mexico City, but never made it, as he was captured and shot in 1811.
Mexico: Jose Morelos
Mestizo priest who took up the fight next.
He was captured and executed in 1815.
Mexico: Augustin Inturbide
Creole who declared independence for Mexico in 1821.
Proclaimed himself emperor of Mexico and ruled like a tyrant.
After just three years of ruling, he was toppled in 1824 and the Republic of Mexico was established.
Simon Bolivar (The Liberator)
Born in Venzuela and went from an elite creole planter to a military general.
He liberated the territories of modern day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
Wanted to create a powerful and unified Latin American state under one rule.
Jose de San Martin
Creole officer who trained in European armies.
He liberated Argentenia from Spanish Control.
Met with Bolivar in 1822 and turned his armies over to Bolivar
Brazil: Dom Pedro
In 1808, Napoleon’s troops invaded Portugal and the royal family fled to Brazil to rule from there,
After Napoleon’s defeat, Brazillians wanted their independence.
In 1822, 8,000 creoles signed a petition requesting that a prince (Dom Pedro) be left behind to rule Brazil seperate from the Portuguese Empire.
His father gave him permission to make Brazil an independent nation if that’s what his citizens wanted, resulting in a Bloodless Revolution.
Conclusion
Most Latin American colonies won their independence by 1825.
Most movements were led by creoles.
Haiti was different because it was a French colony and was led by slaves.
Brazil was different because it was a Portuguese colony that became independent by a Bloodless Revolution and then developed a monarchy.