1. 1750-1914:
An Age of
Revolutions
Latin American
Independence
Movements

2. Background
Indigenous peoples and civilizations
◦ Maya, Aztec, Inca
European Colonization, 1500s
◦ Spain, Portugal, France
American Revolution, 1776
French Revolution and Enlightenment,
1789
Napoleon’s conquests within Europe,
1800s

3. Latin American Independence
Movements, 18th & 19th C.

4. François Toussaint-
Simón Louverture-
Miguel Hidalgo Bolívar
Pedro I José de San
Martín

5. French colonies: Revolution in Haiti
Saint Domingue, now known as Haiti
Western third of island of Hispanola
in Caribbean Sea.
Plantation slavery, sugar

6. Toussaint L’Ouverture
Former slave, self-educated.
Untrained in military and political
matters, but became a skilled
general and diplomat.
Allegedly got name (“opening” in
French) from being able to find
openings in enemy lines.
Took leadership of a slave revolt
that broke out in 1791.
100,000 slaves in revolt.

7.  By 1801, L’Ouverture moved
into Spanish Santo Domingo
(the eastern two-thirds of the island of
Hispanola), took control of
territory and freed slaves.
 In January 1802, French
troops landed.
 Toussaint agreed to an end of
fighting if the French would
end slavery
 French accused him of
planning another uprising.
 Sent him to a prison in the
French Alps.
 He died 10 months later, April
1803.

8. Spanish Colonies
Revolutions against
Spanish Rule

9. Latin American social classes
Peninsulares - men born in Spain
◦ held highest offices
Creoles - Spaniards born in Latin America
◦ officers in army, but not in government
◦ often resented power of the peninsulares
Mestizos - mixed European and Indian
Mulattos - mixed European and African
Indians/Africans

10. European Background:
Napoleon
Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808.
Removed Spain’s King Ferdinand VII and
made Joseph (Nap’s brother) king of
Spain.
Creoles used it as a reason for revolution.
1810 rebellion across Latin America.
1814, Napoleon defeated and Ferdinand
returned to power, but creoles cont’d their
movement.

11. Francisco Goya, Executions of May 3, 1808

12. Simon Bolivar
Wealthy Venezuelan creole.
“The Liberator”

13. Venezuelan Independence,
1821
Venezuela declared independence,
1811.
Bolivar’s armies unsuccessful at
first.
1819: Bolivar marched armies over
Andes into today’s Colombia,
defeated Spanish army.
1821: Venezuelan independence.
Marched north to Ecuador to meet
Jose de San Martin.

14. Jose de San Martin
Simple,
modest man.
Born in
Argentina,
spent time in
Spain as
military
officer.

15. Lima, Peru

16. Argentinean Independence
Argentinadeclared
independence in 1816.
San Martin led army across
Andes to Chile, joined by
Bernardo O’Higgins, and freed
Chile.
Ecuador, 1822: San Martin met
with Bolivar to decide how to
remove remaining Spanish
forces in Lima, Peru.

17. San Martin sailed for Europe and
died on French soil in 1850.
Dec9, 1824, Bolivar defeated
Spanish at Battle of Ayacucho.

18. Bolivar
San
Martin

19. Gran Colombia, 1820-1830
Bolivar’s vision of a united South America.
Present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and
Panama.
Short-lived due to dissension amongst various
factions.
Bolivar resigned in 1828.
In1830, Bolivar’s Gran Colombia divided into
Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Panama later split from Colombia with US
assistance, 1903.

20. Mexico
Indians and mestizos, not creoles,
played the key role in
independence movements.
Creoles sided with Spain to avoid
violence of lower-class rebellions
(until 1820).

21. Miguel Hidalgo
A village priest, believed
in Enlightenment ideals.
1810, called for revolution.
◦ Grito de Dolores (call for revolution)
Hidalgo’sIndian and mestizo followers
marched to Mexico City.
Spanish army and creoles acted against
Hidalgo and defeated him in 1811.

22. Mexican Independence, 1821
1820 revolution in Spain put a liberal
government in power.
Mexican creoles feared loss of
influence, so they united against
Spain.
Agustin Iturbide declared himself
emperor, but was overthrown.
1824: Establishment of the Mexican
Republic.

23. French Rule
Conservative rebels plotted with France to
reconquer Mexico.
Napoleon III sent armies to Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo, 1862:
◦ Zaragoza won the Battle of Puebla against the French,
but the French won the war.
Napoleon III appointed a relative, Austrian
archduke Maximilian, as emperor of Mexico.
Juarez resisted, US sent troops to Mexico - French
gave up in 1867.
Juarez continued reforms.

24. United Provinces of Central
America
Several other Central American states
declared their independence from both
Spain and Mexico to create the United
Provinces of Central America.

25. Independence in South America
3
In South America, Native Americans
had rebelled against Spanish rule as
early as the 1700s, with limited results.
It was not until the 1800s that
discontent sparked a widespread drive
for independence.
Simon Bolívar, called “The Liberator,” :the
George Washington of South America,”
led an uprising that established a republic
in Venezuela. He then captured Bogotá,
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
 In 1816, José de San Martín helped
Argentina win freedom from Spain. He
then joined forces with Bolívar.
 Bolívar tried to unite the liberated
lands into a single nation called Gran
Columbia. However, bitter rivalries made
that dream impossible. Before long, Gran
Columbia split into three independent
countries: Venezuela, Columbia, and
Ecuador. (Panama)

26. By 1841, United Provinces of
Central America had split into
republics of El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala
and Honduras.
Conservative clergy and wealthy
landowners resisted liberal,
democratic reforms.
Inability to agree to terms of a
canal cost it much-needed revenue.

27. Period of Consolidation, 1825-1850
 Breakdown of original nations and groups:
◦ Gran Colombia
◦ an original union between Bolivia and Peru
◦ United Provinces of Central America
 Instability of internal politics
◦ Bolivia experienced 60 revolts and coups.
◦ Venezuela experienced 52 revolts and coups
 Liberals - free trade, representative govt, federal government
system
 Conservatives - protect church and upper classes
◦ controlled most regimes between 1830 and 1870.
 Independence movements and new governments run by
Creoles
 Spanish administrators had excluded Creoles from political
leadership, so few leaders could actually run a government.

28. Latin American Independence
Movements, 18th & 19th C.