1790-1848

Social Unrest:PeninsularesCreolesMestizosMulatottoes

Political Discontent: Educated creoles bring the ideas of the Enlightenment to Latin America

A French ruled island in the Caribbean (Hispaniola)A very wealthy sugar colony, worked by nearly ½

million African SlavesThe slaves revolt in 1791 lead by Toussaint

L’OvertureA self educated slave and a skillful leader

France, Spain and Britain all send armies to stop the slave revolt

By 1798 Toussaint and his army controlled most of the island and slavery was abolished

In 1802 Napoleon sends an army to conquer the island but his troops are unsuccessful

France signs a truce with the island in 1803 and Haiti declares itself a Republic in 1804

Toussaint L’Overture

Skilled leader of the slave revolt in Haiti.

A self-educated man.

Captured by the French in 1802 after a false truce. They carried him off to France where he died in prison in 1803.

His troops continue to fight and win their freedom from French troops in 1803 following yellow fever and their eventual surrender.

September 15, 1810: Father Miguel Hidalgo rang the church bells in Dolores calling the people to prayer, instead he asked them to fight for their freedom against Spain (“el Grito de Delores”)

Hidalgo, a creole, supported by his army of poor mestizos and Native Americans marched to Mexico City seeking an end to slavery and reforms to improve conditions for the Natives

With little success and no real support, Hidalgo was captured and executed, his army disbanded

Father Jose Morelos, a mestizo, continued the revolution seeking social and political reform

Morelos led rebel forces for four years until he was eventually captured and shot in 1815

In 1820 the Spanish King issued a constitution, fearing forced liberal reform on the colonies, Mexican creoles joined the rebel forces to overthrow the Spanish viceroy

Mexico finally won their independence from Spain and became the Republic of Mexico in 1820

Father Miguel Hidalgo Father Jose Morelos

Simon Bolivar

Simon Bolivar was an educated creole born in Caracas who admired the US and French Revolutions.

He received military training in Europe and was a successful political and military leader in South America.

He freed Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia from Spanish Colonial rule.

Called “The Liberator”

1810: Bolivar led an uprising in Spanish occupied Venezuela and declared it a RepublicThe new republic was quickly toppled by

conservative forces and civil war raged in Venezuela for years

Bolivar was exiled twice to Haiti during this time1819: Bolivar aligned with the llaneros, or

Venezuelan cowboys, marched his troops through the Andes Mountains and captured the capital of the viceroyalty of New Granada, Bogota. (Columbia)

1821: Bolivar secured Caracas, Venezuela, and was called “The Liberator”

Jose de San Martin

A creole born in

Argentina and

militarily trained in

Europe

A very gifted

general who frees

Argentina and Chile

from Spanish rule

He turns his forces

over to Simon

Bolivar in 1822 to

continue the

fighting in Peru,

Ecuador, and

Bolivia

After joining with San Martin and his troops in Peru Bolivar continued to fight the Spanish until 1824. At this point most of South America had been freed:Modern day Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Peru,

Ecuador, Bolivia, MexicoBolivar tried to unite the newly freed countries into

one united Grand Colombia but failed and four independent states emerged: Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador

Civil wars raged in the region throughout the century; when Bolivar died in 1830, he saw his country fall from the hands of the Spanish master, to a new master

When Napoleon invaded Portugal, the royal family fled to Brazil, before returning to Portugal the king left his son Dom Pedro to rule Brazil

As the rest of South America fought for independence from their European rulers, the king of Portugal advised Dom Pedro, “If Brazil demands independence, proclaim it yourself”

In 1822 Dom Pedro declared independence from Portugal, crowned himself emperor, and accepted a constitution giving freedom of press, religion, and an elected legislature

Brazil remained a monarchy until 1889 when social and political turmoil led it become a republic