Latin American Revolutions

Libertyville HS

Conquest to Colonies

• Conquistadors defeated Aztecs, Mayans & Incans; set up gov’ts

• Colonial Administration– Directed from Spain– Responsible to Spain– BUT semi-independent

from Spain• Distance• Communication time

The Colonial Experience• Social structure based on purity of

Spanish bloodlines– Peninsulares: socially superior to all

others– Criollos (Iberians born in New Spain):

wealthiest class– Mestizos: Spanish men, American Ind.

Women; excluded from econ op.– Slaves

• Catholic Church– Church as imp. as gov’t officials– Natives identified w/ Virgin Mary– Crucifixion mirrored their suffering

The Colonial Experience• Economy

– Mining was key (silver, gold)– Encomiendas (labor system)

• Given a certain # of natives• Responsible for teaching

Spanish, religion in exchange for food, gold

– Haciendas (self sufficient land grants)

– Trade• Spanish monopoly• Slave trade: British monopoly

Haitian Revolution (against French)

• Santo Domingo (island)– 2/3 of Fr. Tropical imports– 1/3 of Fr. Total foreign

trade!• Brutal slave economy

– Poor living conditions– Harsh punishments– Constant demand for

more African slaves

The Haitian Revolution

• French Rev. in France led to rev. in islands– Rich planters vs. free mixed

race population (“gens de coleur” – mulattoes)

• Slaves take advantage, rebel– Plantations burned, masters

killed, houses destroyed

Haitian Revolution• Toussaint L’Ouverture

– Former slave, leader of rebellion

– Created an organized, disciplined military force

• 1794: Fr. NA abolished slavery

• 1801: L’Ouverture adopted liberal constitution– Asserted loyalty to France

BUT made Haiti indep.• And then Napoleon took

over…

Haitian Revolution• 1802: Nap. sent army to

reclaim Santo Domingo– Captured Toussaint (sent to

France, died in prison)– Brutal fighting– Malaria infected French

troops, killing majority• Fr. forces withdrew• US under President

Jefferson put embargo on Haiti (feared free blacks)

Opposition to Spanish Control• Simon Bolivar (1783-1830)

– Success of American Revolution inspired him to seek freedom for Spanish colonies

– Called “The Liberator”• Contributed to liberation of

Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Bolivia

– Formed federation of former colonies called Gran Columbia• Served as its president from

1821-1830• Believed in strong central gov’t• Tended towards dictatorship

Gran Columbia in blue

The Disintegration of Argentina• Decades of civil war tore

Argentina apart– Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia

declared independence from Argentina

– Caudillo (dictator) became typical – why?• Lack of democratic tradition in

Spain, colonies

• Juan Manuel Rosas, caudillo of Argentina (1828-52)– Brutal dictator who

nevertheless brought peace and stability to region

Juan Manuel de Rosas, caudilloof Argentina

Quote from Rosas“The King can be compared with a

father, and reciprocally a father can be compared with the King, and then set the duties of the monarch by those of the parental authority. Love, govern, reward and punish is what a King and a father must do. In the end, there's nothing less legitimate than anarchy, which removes property and security from the people, as force becomes

then the only right.”

Mexican Independence• Mexican Republic est.

1823• Spain invaded, 1829

(defeated)• French invaded, 1838

(defeated)• Mexico invited US citizens

to settle in Texas (then, a state of Mexico) in 1820s– Soon outnumbered

Mexicans– Opposed Mexican gov’ts

abolition of slavery

Mexican Independence• Decades of conflict

included war with America and a Mexican civil war

• Cession of 1848– Transfer of 2/3 of Mexican

nation to America– Result of Mexican American

War– Today, makes up the

American SW

Mexican Independence

• French invaded in 1862, set up Maximilian as Emperor– Austrian Hapsburg– US threatened to get involved

after 1865– French pulled out, Max

executed in 1867

Results of Independence Movements

• Legacy of Spanish colonialism (cultural)• Political liberalism limited (no democratic

traditions)• Much of L.A. were economic disaster

areas (corruption, primitive economies)• Latin American weakness allowed USA

rise to prominence in last ½ of 19th C.