Latin American Independence Movements

1. Latin American Independence Movements

2. Preguntas Muy Importantes • What is nationalism? • What is meant by Latin America? • What makes a group of people a “nation”? • What role did the French Revolution, and then the rise of Napoleon, play in the Latin American independence movements?

3. Preguntas Muy Importantes • How were the independence movements in Latin America influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment? • What role did the social structure of New Spain play in the development of a nationalist movement?

4. Nationalism • Definition: • The belief that each group of people should have their own country, with clearly defined borders & their own government • People should be loyal to the government rather than the leader • Pride in one’s country; being patriotic

5. What makes a nation? • Nationality (common ethnicity) • Language • Culture (a shared way of life) • History (common experiences) • Religion (common to most/all of the people) • Territory (where the nation is located)

6. Background to Independence • By early 1800s, ideas of the Enlightenment, French Revolution & Napoleonic wars had influenced Europeans • Turmoil in Europe had influenced those living in the Spanish & Portuguese colonies in the Americas • The influence of the American Revolution also played a role in Latin America Independence movements

9. Colonial Society • Based on a racial hierarchy • The lighter the skin, the more valuable the person • A hierarchy is

10. Colonial Society • Peninsulares: white people born on the Iberian peninsula in either Spain or Portugal to Spanish or Portuguese parents • Creoles: the children of peninsulare parents born in the new world. White people, but held a permanent 2nd class status • Where is the Iberian Peninsula?!

12. Colonial Society • Mestizo: a person of mixed European and Indian blood • Mulatto:a person of mixed European and African blood

13. Colonial Society • African $lave$: people brought to New Spain as a labor force to replace the Indians • Indians: indigenous people with the least amount of value in this hierarchy because they could not do the work the slaves could • Indigenous means

14. Regroup • What is nationalism? • What makes up a nation? • What is a mulatto? • What is a mestizo? • What is a hierarchy? • What nations are on the Iberian Peninsula?

15. Colonial Economy • Mercantilism: economic theory that states there is a fixed amount of wealth in the world & that in order to receive a larger share, one country has to take some wealth away from another country

16. Colonial Economy • The main purpose of the Latin American colonies was to provide their respective mother countries, merchants and white colonists, with as much wealth as possible • The Europeans took as much gold, silver and plantation crops as possible from the colonies • Why do colonies exist?

17. Colonial Economy • Hacienda: The main economic center in New Spain • A large, self-sufficient farming estate • Given to conquistadors & court favorites by the monarch • Indians first worked the land, but because of abuse and disease, many died • African slaves were imported to work as replacements

18. Growing Discontent • Discontented creoles (why are they discontented?) attracted to the ideas of the Enlightenment, French and American revolutions • Stuck in permanent 2nd class status • Feared losing economic monopolies because of king’s relaxing of mercantilist restrictions • Resented paying taxes for European wars • Liberal government came to power in Spain

19. Haiti Goes First • Known as St. Domingo on the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies • During French Revolution, the radicals had abolished slavery in the French colonies • Napoleon had restored slavery in the colony and slaves revolted • What choice did the former slaves have?

22. Haiti • Former slaves led in battle by Toussaint L’Ouverture (the “opening” in English because it was said he could find an opening in the French lines when he had to • Napoleon saw L’Ouverture as a threat to controlling Haiti and sent an army to crush him

23. Haiti • French army eventually signed a deal with L’Ouverture and he was then arrested and sent to France where he died in 1803 • The French tricked him • After L’Ouverture, Jean-Jacques Dessaline took up the fight and defeated the French • Independent Haiti proclaimed in 1804 • First free African slave colony in New World

24. Regroup • What is mercantilism? What is the reason for creating a colony? • Who led the revolt in Haiti? • What were some of the reasons for the revolt in Haiti? • What was the name of Haiti before it was called Haiti?

25. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808 set wheels in motion • Spanish nationalism, fueled by Napoleon, grew in the American colonies • Unhappy creoles, mestizos & Indians were to join the revolution in Mexico

27. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • After Spanish King Ferdinand VII was removed from throne, a junta developed in Spain to rule in king’s name • Same thing happened in Mexico, but creoles wanted to run it • Peninsulares said that was a bad idea– they should support Spain with peninsualres in charge • Peninsulares tend to be more conservative

28. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • Tension grew between peninsulares & creoles • Creoles formed “literary societies” to plot their next move • The leader of the most famous of these clubs met a priest called Miguel Hidalgo

30. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • Hildalgo promised revolution before the end of 1810 in Mexico • 16 September 1810: Grito de Dolores • The “call of Dolores” • Called on the Indians, mestizos and creoles to take up arms against Spain • Hildalgo’s army quickly became a mob and turned uprising into class war

31. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • 30 October 1810: Battle of Las Cruces • Hildalgo won, but did not follow up the victory • Spanish army counter-attacked and captured Hidalgo • Hidalgo was tried and executed by the Holy Office of the Inquisition (he was a priest, after all)

32. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • After Hildalgo, leadership was taken over by Jose Maria Morelos, a mestizo priest • Morelos added a social element to the revolution that angered many of the creoles • He was later defeated and executed in 1815

33. Mexico Ends Spanish Rule • 1820: Revolt against Ferdinand VII by the liberals in Spain • Creoles in Mexico joined the revolution in droves • Spanish army commander joined rebel side • Revolution over & Mexico independent by September 1821

34. Regroup • What occupation did Morelos and Hidalgo share? • What was the Grito de Dolores? • What event in Spain helped to secure Mexican Independence? • What was the irony in Iturbide’s declaration of independence in 1821?

35. Independence in Spanish S. America • Began in 1810 in La Plata when creoles took control of the government there & declared their independence • La Plata was later named Argentina • Paraguay later declared its own independence from Spain

36. Independence in Spanish S. America • In the rest of South America, things got bloody • Led by Simon Bolivar (the Liberator) • Started in Caracas (in modern Venezuela) in 1810 • Destroyed Spanish power in New Granada (NW South America) • Created new nation of Greater Colombia

39. Independence in Spanish S. America • Greater Colombia: • Colombia • Venezuela • Ecuador • Panama

40. Independence in Spanish S. America • Jose de San Martin crossed Andes into modern Chile, joined with Bernardo O’Higgins and defeated Spanish army there by 1818 • From Chile San Martin moved north to Lima, Peru & declared independence by 1821, but totally free until 1825

41. Brazil Goes Its Own Way • Napoleon’s 1808 invasion of Portugal forced king John VI to flee to Brazil • Brazil then became equal to Portugal and mercantilist restrictions on trade removed • John VI stayed in Brazil until 820 when he returned to deal with revolution in Portugal

42. Brazil Goes Its Own Way • Once John VI left Brazil he tried to return it to colony status • Creoles in Brazil persuaded prince Pedro to become independent ruler of Brazil as a constitutional monarch • King in Portugal agreed to allow it and no blood was spilled

43. Regroup • How was Brazil unique in its independence movement? • Who was known as the “Liberator”? • What social class did O’Higgins, San Martin and Bolivar belong to? • What were some of the new nations created in Central and South America after independence?

44. Preguntas Muy Importantes • What is nationalism? • What is meant by Latin America? • What makes a group of people a “nation”? • What role did the French Revolution, and then the rise of Napoleon, play in the Latin American independence movements?

45. Preguntas Muy Importantes • How were the independence movements in Latin America influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment? • What role did the social structure of New Spain play in the development of a nationalist movement?