Latin American Independence:Early 1800s

I. Review

SOCIAL HIERARCHY

P

C

M & M

I & A

Peninsulares:Native Spaniards

Creoles:Whites of European backgroundborn in theNew World

Mestizos: Indian +European

Mulattos:African +European or Amerindian

Native Americans and AfricansCAUSES

II. Causes

Factors 1. Enlightenment, French & American Revs

• Simon Bolivar admired USA’s federal system of states + central government. Desired an independent South American state called “Gran Columbia”

2. Resentment of Mercantilist Economy

3. Social Inequality in the Colonies

– Creoles (20% of population) and Mestizos (25% of population) were resentful of peninsulares

4. Crisis Back in Spain

– 1808 – Napoleon invaded Spain & Portugal; put his brother on the throne

– Creoles chose this moment of Spanish & Portuguese weakness attempted to get control of colonies

– Brazil transitioned to independence easily – Spain’s colonies did not

III. South America

Simón Bolívar • Began the revolution in 1810

• Called “The Liberator”; Dreamed of a united Latin America

• Led the Revolution against Spain in northern S. America– Columbia, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador

• Called on ALL classes to unite (said he’d free slaves)

• Managed to establish a united South America(Gran Colombia)

• Gran Columbia fell apart into different states

•José de San Martín led the revolution in southern South America (Argentina)

•Crossed Andes to help Chile

•Met with fellow revolutionary, Bolivar, in Ecuador

•South American liberated from Spanish rule by 1825

The meeting of San Martín (right) and Simon Bolívar in Ecuador, on 26 July 1822, signaled the successful conclusion of the campaign to liberate South America from Spanish control.

IV. Mexico

Mexican Independence• Began in 1810• Marked by violence & lack of cooperation between social

classes• Began when, Father Miguel Hidalgo

(a priest) led a lower-class-based movement to take power• Creoles & peninsulares feared his movement & used an

army to stop it, executing Hidalgo in 1811• Another priest, Morelos, picked up the fight for social

justice• So in Mexico, there were THREE groups fighting (Spain,

poor Mexicans, and upper-class Mexicans)

José Maria Morelos• He demanded:

•Abolition of slavery•Land reform (redistribution) that would give land owned by the upper classes to the peasants

[We demand]…”A new government, by which all inhabitants, except peninsulares, would no longer be designated as Indians, Mulattoes, or castas [people of mixed race], but all would be knownas Americans.”

•In 1815, Morelos was also captured and executed by upper-class Mexicans

• The revolution then became Creole-led

Augustin de Iturbide

• Creole leader who eventually led Mexico to independence from Spain in 1820.

• Declared himself emperor with the help of the military.

• Ousted in favor of another general: Santa Anna

V. Common Issues for Latin American Revolutions

ECONOMIC: ONE-CROP ECONOMIES

A monocrop economies continued…Latin America mainly exported cash crops (low value raw materials) while importing (high value) manufactured goods.

THE QUESTION OF LAND

•Landless peasants (mestizos & Amerindian) remained a huge problem

•Desire for land redistribution will remain

EFFECTS

Power of the Catholic Church

•Catholic Church retained control of education & remained very wealthy

Caudillos

• Caudillo = often a military leader with huge personal popularity • monocrop economy + illiteracy + lack of self gov’t experience = dictatorships run by military leaders

SlaverySlavery remained, BUT

gradual emancipation took place

In 1888, Brazil was the last state to abolish slavery.

Most former slaves remained impoverished, just like other members of the lower class