1. Latin American Independence
from Europe
• Most of Latin America was ruled by Spain,
Portugal or France for 300 years
• In the 1800s, European countries such as Spain
and Portugal were tightly controlling colonies
and continuing their wealth
• The American and French Revolutions convinced
Latin Americans that European rulers could be
defeated and many began to overthrow their
European rulers.
• They began launching the Latin America
Independence Movement

2. Independence
Leaders
•
•
•
•
Touissant L’Ouverture
Simon Bolivar
Jose de San Martin
Miguel Hidalgo

3. TouIssanT
L’ouverTure
• 1791 – former slave who led Haiti’s fight
for independence from France
• Haiti was originally known as St. Domingue
• Touissant’s slave owner allowed him to
read and write. Many books he read spoke
of freedom.
• He led a rebel group, killing colonists and
burning the land.

4. TouIssanT
L’ouverTure
• France freed the slaves in 1794.
• Toussaint then had to fight the Spanish
and English to keep them from taking
over the island.
• By 1799, Toussaint controlled the island
country and named himself dictator for
life.
• He set up a constitution and guaranteed
decent wages, housing, and medical care.

5. TouIssanT
L’ouverTure
What qualities
do you believe
L’Ouverture
possessed?
What
characteristics
made people
follow him into
battle?

6. TouissanT
L’ouverTure
• Napoleon Bonaparte was insulted by Toussaint’s
declaration.
• He sent the French Army to retake the colony.
• Toussaint was captured & died in a French prison.
• 1803- French gave up on the island nation after
much of the army died of Yellow Fever.
• 1804- Haiti became independent & was renamed
the Republic of Haiti
• It was the 2nd free nation in the Western Hemisphere

7. simon BoLivar
• In Venezuela in the early 1800’s, rebellions
began to break out against Spanish rule.
• Simon Bolivar, a wealthy landowner, had just
returned from Europe
• His goal was to free his
homeland – Venezuela.
• Beginning in 1810- he fought
for the freedom of his homeland.
• Later, he helped liberate other
countries.

8. simon BoLivar

9. simon BoLivar
• He was called “El Libertador” for his
determination and power to free his
country.
• He helped liberate or free
Venezuela, New Granada,
Ecuador, and Bolivia
• Should he have helped free
other countries? Would you
be willing to fight and die for the
freedom of another country?

10. simon BoLivar
• He became the president of Gran Columbia,
which includes today’s countries of Colombia,
Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
• He moved farther south, liberating Bolivia, and
adding it to his republic.
• He is also called the “George Washington of
South America”
• The country of Bolivia is named for him and his
birthday is a national holiday in Venezuela and
Bolivia.

11. Jose de san Martin
• A Spanish general that led Argentina to
independence from Spain in 1816
• He was the son of a mission soldier.
• He also helped free Peru and Chile from
Spanish rule.
• He liberated Lima, Peru on July 1821
• He was the country’s leader
• He helped liberate Chile in 1817
• Peru’s independence was
threatened by loyalists in the
mountain

12. Jose de san Martin

13. Jose de san Martin
• San Martin needed
help and looked to
Bolivar.
• Bolivar met up with
Jose de San Martin
on July 25, 1822.

14. Jose de san Martin
• Bolivar and San Martin couldn’t reach an
agreement.
• San Martin quit his post and went into exile in
Europe.
• A year later Bolivar and his troops enter Lima
and defeat the loyalists

15. Miguel Hidalgo
• Most of Mexico had been under Spanish rule
since Cortes invaded in the early 1500’s
• 1810 – Hidalgo, a Catholic priest in the village of
Delores, led an army of peasants to revolt in
Mexico against Spanish rule.
• He spoke out for social reform in his country.
• He felt the slaves should be freed
• He felt the land should be returned to
Mexican farmers & wanted Spain to
stop heavy taxation

16. Miguel Hidalgo

17. Miguel Hidalgo
• 1808- France invaded Spain and Hidalgo decided it
was time to revolt.
• He gave a speech called Grito de Delores (Cry of
Delores) to set off the independence movement.
• He led a small group of protestors to Mexico City.
• By the time they arrived, his army was up to 2,000.
• The protesters’ farm equipment was no match for
the guns of government soldiers.
• The protesters were easily defeated after a few
battles. Hidalgo was captured and killed.

18. Miguel Hidalgo
• Spanish officials
executed Hidalgo, but
the rebellion against
Spain didn’t stop.
• Mexico gained
independence in 1821.
Today, Hidalgo is
known as the “Father of
Mexican
Independence”
• Why do you think the

19. Mural showing Hidalgo leading
independence movement in Mexico