LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS: MENU

CAUSES ofthe Revolution

LEADERS ofthe Revolution

EFFECTS ofthe Revolution

CAUSES of Latin American Revolutions

PROBLEMS OFTHE SPANISH EMPIRE

THE AGE OFENLIGHTENMENT

THEAMERICAN

REVOLUTION

THE FRENCH

REVOLUTION

THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

* Government is based on a contract between the ruler and the ruled.

Before the Age of Enlightenment, kings were placed on the throne by God. Only God can remove them.

* Government exists to protect the citizens’ natural rights of life, liberty, & property.

* If the government violates the natural rights of the people, the citizens have a right to revolt against that tyranny.CAUSES

* However, after the age of Enlightenment, people realized that:

PROBLEMS IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE Part I

* Political Disempowerment (deprived of influence or importance) :

Those directives were carried out by the viceroys, officials appointed by Spain to govern the colonies.

Spanish colonies were run by the Council of the Indies, a group appointed by the King that met in Spain and sent its directives across the Atlantic. (Directives are orders or demands

of the Colonists in the Americas).

PROBLEMS IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE Part II

* Economic Disempowerment:

Spain had the first right to colonial goods and resources. Excluding all competitors, economic policy was set for Spain’s maximum benefit.

Spanish Coloniesin the Americas

Spain

So, these are the poor colonists in the Americas! What’s it to me?

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

* The success of the American Revolution showed others that colonies could succeed in overthrowing their more powerful mother countries.

CAUSES

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

* The people of France grow disgusted with treatment from King Louis and Marie Antoinette

* The people storm the palaces and overthrow the monarchy (king and queen).

* The Enlightenment leads many European writers to criticize the absolute monarchy and espouse democratic ideas

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CAUSES

CAUSES OF THE LATIN AMERICAN FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE

• There was an influence of the ideas developed during the Age of Enlightenment

• The successful revolutions in the

American colonies and the French Revolution

• Spain demanded control of trade with its colonies

SOCIAL PYRAMID Latin American Social Hierarchy

P

C

M & M

I & A

PeninsularesNative Spaniards

CreolesPeople of pure

European bloodBut born in the

New World

Mestizos:Indian +

European blood

MulattosAfrican + European blood

Indians and AfricansCAUSES

LEADERS

BOLIVAR

HIDALGO

MORELOS

SANMARTIN

Miguel Hidalgo of Mexico

Dom Pedro of Brazil

Toussaint L‘Ouverture of

Haiti

Simon Bolivar, liberator of Southwest

South America

Toussaint L‘Ouverture

*Haitian slave who was inspired by French Revolution

*Joined French after the revolutionary government abolished slavery

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LEADERS

*He began military career as leader of 1791 slave rebellion in St. Dominque.

* Haiti became first of Latin American colonies to gain independence in 1804

MIGUEL HIDALGO

* Highly educated Creole priest assigned to town of Dolores.

* September 16, 1810: El Grito de Dolores. Hidalgo rang church bells and called upon his mestizo and indigenous parishioners to take up arms against the Spanish.

* Led a rag-tag army toward Mexico City, unleashing mass slaughter of peninsulares in path.

* Never made it to the capital. Instead, he was captured and shot in 1811. His work was completed by Jose Morelos.

LEADERS

Dom Pedro

* In early 1800s, French armies invaded Portugal

* Portugal’s royal family fled to Brazil

*The king returned to Portugal in 1821, leaving his son, Dom Pedro to rule the colony (Brazil).

*Dom Pedro took more power than expected by declaring Brazil independent

LEADERS

*Brazil and Canada to the north were two examples of non-violent revolutions

SIMON BOLIVAR

* He was called the “George Washington of South America.”

* He liberated territories of modern day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia

* His plan for a federated Latin America was crushed by political in-fighting.

* He was an elite Creole planter who became a military general

LEADERS

EFFECTS ofLatin American

RevolutionsECONOMIC

POLITICAL INTERNATIONAL

POLITICAL Effects:THE CAUDILLOS

* By 1830, nearly all Latin American countries were ruled by caudillos.

* The upper classes supported dictatorship because it kept the lower classes out of power.

* The lower classes did not have experience with democracy. So, dictatorship seemed normal.

WHY?

EFFECTS

INTERNATIONAL Effects: THE MONROE DOCTRINE

“The American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” - James Monroe, 1823

WHY was theMonroe Doctrine Important?

* The U.S. had political and economic interests in keeping Europe out of the Western hemisphere. From 1823 on, it would be the U.S.’ backyard.

* Though the U.S. did not have the muscle to back up its threats, Great Britain agreed to support the Monroe Doctrine due to its new favorable trading position in Latin America. EFFECTS

* After the War of 1812 with England, America realized the first war for freedom may not be the only one. They wanted to prevent possible follow up wars for other new nations in the Western Hemisphere.

ECONOMIC Effects of the Revolutions:

ONE-CROP ECONOMIES* Now that trade was not restricted to the Latin American’s mother country, the U.S. and Great Britain became the new Latin American countries’ major trading partners.

* A colonial economy continued - Latin America mainly exported cash crops and raw materials while importing manufactured goods.

AN IMBALANCE OF TRADE

* As the imbalance of trade grew, Latin American countries took out large loans from the U.S., Britain, and Germany to build infrastructure.

* When the countries could not pay back their loans, foreign lenders gained control of major industries in Latin America.

THE QUESTION OF LAND

* Thus, the creole replaced the peninsular at the top of the social pyramid…

* Once the Spaniards were expelled, the new governments seized their lands and put them up for sale, BUT…

NO!

EFFECTS

DID THE SOCIAL PYRAMID CHANGE?

* Only the creoles could afford to buy them.

* But other classes remained at the bottom of the social pyramid.

SUMMARY BEFORE AFTER

POLITICALECONOMIC

SOCIAL

Latin American countries were able to trade as they wished. Sold cash crops and imported manufactured goods which led to debt.

Dictatorship of the Caudillos

Unequal trade relationship with Spain benefiting

King and council decided on laws and

viceroys carried them out

Native Spaniards at the top of the social ladder, followed by

creoles, and with the rest of the population

at the bottom

Creoles at the top of the ladder with

the rest of the population at the

bottom.

THAT’S ALL FOLKS!