Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Section 3
Chapter 9.3
Independence in Latin America
Main Idea
Revolutionary ideas took hold in Latin America as colonies
fought for independence from Europe.
Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Section 3
Early Struggles in Latin America
The Enlightenment and the American and French revolutions inspired
some in Latin America to seek greater freedom.
Haiti Becomes Independent
Toussaint L’Ouverture
• Saint Domingue is first Latin
American territory to break ties
with Europe
• French settlers on Saint
Domingue resisted new law
• Sugar exports made Saint
Domingue one of France’s
richest possessions
• Toussaint L’Ouverture led
bloody revolt against settlers
• Prosperity built on slave labor
• Toussaint’s military, political
actions made him hero in
Hispaniola
• He was a freed slave who
learned to read. Enlightenment
Ideas
• French Revolution gave all
men voting rights in territory
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Napoleon Concerned
French emperor Napoleon worried about revolt in
Hispaniola
• Sent French general to take control of colony away from
Toussaint
– Island forces struggled for months
– 1802, Toussaint agreed to armistice
– French broke agreement, sent him to prison; Toussaint died
there, 1803
• Fight for independence continued
– 1804, revolutionaries declared independence
– Named new nation Haiti 2nd independent nation in America’s
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Colonies of Spain and Portugal
Another Kind of Independence
• 1800s, Spain controlled most of Latin America; Portugal governed Brazil
• In the 1700s Spanish kings had made improvements in colonies, building
roads, regulating trade; colonies grew in wealth and prosperity
Education and New Ideas
• Wealth gave some in Latin America access to education, new ideas
• Educated colonists read works of Enlightenment philosophers, learned
about revolutions in France, America
Tensions Growing
• Tensions grew in Latin America between creoles, people of European
descent born in colonies, and peninsulares, colonists born in Spain
• Similar distinction between Brazilian-born, Portuguese-born colonists
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Growing Tensions
Creoles vs. Peninsulares
• Creoles, peninsulares made up
highest social class
• People of mixed race, Africans,
Indians lower on social scale
• Creoles excluded from highest
levels of government, church
• As prosperity grew, creoles
resented peninsulares, faraway
Spanish rulers
• Sound Familiar? English
colonies??
Napoleon
• 1807, French emperor
Napoleon invaded Spain,
Portugal
• Spanish king imprisoned,
Portuguese king fled to Brazil
• Invasion weakened Spanish,
Portuguese power in Latin
America
• Creole revolutionaries decided
time right for fight for
independence
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Independence in Mexico
Napoleon’s conquest of Spain was the spark for independence in the
colony of Mexico.
Father Hidalgo
• 1810, Creole priest, Father Miguel
Hidalgo, made first public call for
Mexican independence
• Had history of challenging authority
• Eventually met creoles who
wanted to take power from
peninsulares, helped plan rebellion
Call to Revolt
• September 16, 1810, Hidalgo
delivered speech calling for fight
against Spanish peninsulares,
though not against Spain
• “Death to bad government and
death to Spaniards”
• Spanish authorities capture,
executed Hidalgo
Hidalgo would later become known as the Father of Mexican
Independence.
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Morelos Continues the Revolution
• After death of Hidalgo, another creole priest, Jose Maria Morelos,
became leader of revolutionary movement
• Strong military leader, took control of parts of Mexico for
independence movement
• Organized Mexican congress, representatives from many places
• Wanted all people born in Mexico, whether Indian, mixed or creole, to
be called Americans
• Morelos wanted Mexico to be an independent republic with
guaranteed freedoms. ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS!!
• Captured, found guilty of treason, executed by Spanish authorities
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Section 3
A Creole King for Mexico
Iturbide to Lead Fight
• Not all creoles wanted independence from Spain; some were royalists
• 1820, Spanish authorities asked Agustin de Iturbide asked to lead final battle
against revolutionaries
Switching Sides
• Iturbide believed liberal revolution underway in Spain might take away some
of his power in Mexcio
• decided to switch sides, fight for Mexican revolutionaries
• Iturbide 3-part proposal to be leader of revolution
• Mexico would be ruled by monarch (Emperor Iturbide)
• Creoles and peninsulares would have equal rights
• Roman Catholic Church would be official church of Mexico
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Different Proposal
• After 10 years of fighting
• the compromise brought together many different groups
• creoles and peninsulares, revolutionaries and royalists
Independence
• Unified under plan, royalists and rebel troops joined Iturbide to win
independence
• In 1821, Mexico declared independence from Spain
• That same year Mexico named Iturbide as its emperor and he
became Emperor Agustin I of Mexico
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Section 3
Revolutionary Leaders in South America
Inspiration
Simon Bolivar
• Revolutions in Haiti, Mexico,
America, France inspired
leaders in South America
• Simon Bolivar, most influential
leader in South American
independence movement
• Independence movements
began to form, leaders emerged
• Known as “the Liberator”
Venezuelan Roots
Independence
• Bolivar born into wealthy creole
family, often traveled to Europe
• 1811, Venezuela declared
independence from Spain
• Admired Napoleon’s leadership;
in Rome, pledged to liberate
South America
• Bolivar led military campaigns
against Spanish for 10 years,
defeated Spanish 1821
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Bolivar’s Dream
Bolivar had a dream for newly independent South
America
• Wanted to form one large, united country called
“Federation of the Andes”
• Dream never became reality
– Bolivar set up state of Gran Colombia, included what are now
Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador
– Other leaders set up separate countries in Peru, Bolivia, other
places
• Bolivar complained “America is ungovernable”
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
José de San Martin
• José de San Martin fought for independence from Spain in south
• San Martin had fought against Napoleon for Spain
• Born in Argentina, returned home when he learned country rising up
against Spanish rule
Chile
Gran Colombia
• 1816, San Martin declared
independence for Argentina
• After Chile, San Martin moved to
Gran Colombia, met Simon Bolivar
• Led troops over 15,000 foot summit
in Andes into Chile
• Historians do not know what they
discussed when they met
• Surprised Spanish troops, won
independence for Chile
• San Martin resigned position after
meeting, returned to Europe
• Left Bolivar in power
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Pedro I
The story of independence was a bit different in the Portuguese
colony of Brazil.
John VI in Brazil
Son Pedro in Charge
• 1807, Portuguese king John
VI, family, fled to Brazil when
Napoleon invaded Portugal
• Status of colony raised having
Portuguese monarch there
• John VI named Rio de Janeiro
capital of Portuguese empire
• Allowed Brazil to trade directly
with world, rather than through
Portugal
• John VI returned to Portugal
after revolution, 1820
• Left son Pedro to rule Brazil
• Brazilian-born colonists began
to protest colonial status
• Transition happened smoothly,
little violence
• 1822, Prince Pedro declared
Brazil independent, was
crowned Emperor Pedro I
Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Section 3