Transcript Latin American Revolution

Latin American Revolution
Colonies in the New World claim their
rights
Revolution in Haiti
• Originally known as Saint Dominque, Haiti was
a French colony
• 500,000 slaves inhabit the island (or at least half)
– Lived at the bottom of the social structure
– Worked on plantations
– They completely outnumber the whites on the island
– Whites are extremely brutal to the slaves
Fight for Freedom
• Finally the slaves (mostly Africans) see they
greatly outnumber the oppressors (read: whites)
• August 1791 war for independence starts
– African Priest Boukman calls for Revolution
– Within a few days 100,000 slaves rise up
– Their leader… Toussaint L’Ouverture
L’Ouverture
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Trained by the French army
Was great at the art of diplomacy
L’Ouverture = opening (in French)
He receives this last name due too his ability on
the battle field to find “openings” in the enemy's
lines
• WHY: does he need a last name?
Long Story Short
• L’Ouverture has stunning victories
• By 1801 he has taken all of Haiti and is moving into
Spanish held Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic
today)
• French send in troops to stop him
• L’Ouverture states he will stop if slavery ends in
Haiti
• French agree but… they end up breaking the
agreement and sending L’Ouverture to a French
prison where he dies in less then 10 months
Haiti
• L’Ouverture is gone but his second in command
takes up the fight
• Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares independence
in 1804
• This is the first “Black” colony to break away
from Europe, but not the last
Latin America (L.A.)
• L.A. was organized into class via birth
1. Peninsulares
2. Creoles
3. Mestizos
4. Mulattos
5. Natives (Indians)
Peninsulares and Creoles
• Peninsulares:
– Born in Spain (Spain is a Peninsula hence the name)
– They were the only group that could hold high office in
the gov
– Why? Because they would stay loyal to Spain, hence the
colony would stay loyal to Spain
• Creoles:
– Spanish born in L.A.
– Could not hold high office
– Could rise in rank in the army
Peninsulares and Creoles
• Both held all the power and wealth in colonies
• They controlled the rest of the populations
The Rest
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Mestizos = mix of European and Native
Mulattos = mix of European and African
Slaves = typically Africans
And at the bottom…
Natives = you may know them as slaves
Creoles Lead The Way
• Creoles are the least oppressed under foreign
rule
• Had some power and wealth
• Many would travel to Europe to be educated
• What did they pick up there?
Creoles Lead The Way
• Creoles have no say in their country and they
feel they should
• With Enlightened ideas they claim their right to
rule
Europe Triggers L.A. Revolutions
• Napoleon takes over Spain in 1808
• Tosses King Ferdinand
• Colonies feel no loyalty to Napoleon or his
brother so… Power shifts from the crown to the
people
• The door is open to take their freedom
• When Napoleon is exiled in 1814 Ferdinand
tries to regain control but, it is too late
The Libertadores
• Two important liberators in L.A.:
• Simon Bolivar
– Wealthy Venezuelan Creole
• Jose de San Martin
– Modest man
– Born in Argentina, but spent most of his youth in
Spain
Bolivar’s Route to Victory
• Venezuela declares independence from Spain in
1811
• At first Bolivar is losing, badly
• Twice he is sent into exile
• Turning point: 1819 Bolivar take 2,000 troops
through the Andes to Bogota
• They completely took the Spanish by surprise
• 1821 Venezuela wins their independence
San Martin
• After Bolivar’s victory he marches south to
Ecuador and meets San Martin
• Argentina claims independence in 1816
• However, their independence is threatened from
Spanish forces in Chile and Peru
• San Martin knows he must rid Spanish forces to
secure Argentina’s independence
San Martin
• He leads his troops over the Andes (see a trend) to Chile
• He connects with Berardo O’Higgins (former viceroy of
Peru)
• Together the two men free Chile from Spanish forces
• In 1821 he heads north by sea to Peru
• His army is too small to take Peru, but Bolivar’s forces are
in the area as well
• With the two armies combined they have the force to
take Peru and they do in 1824. The last battle for
independence in S. America
• Side note:
Mexico
• Here mestizos and natives lead the way
• 1810 Miguel Hidalgo (a priest) begins the
Revolution
• Poor but educated he believes in the ideas of the
Enlightenment
• He gathers the villagers of Dolores and calls for
a revolt
• Grito de Dolores (the cry of Dolores)
Hidalgo and Mexico
• The following day Hidalgo’s army of Natives
(Indians) and mestizo followers march on
Mexico City
• Soon he has an “army” of 60,000 men
• The Upper class of Mexico (peninsulares,
creoles and the army) are terrified and come out
to fight Hidalgo’s force
• Hidalgo is defeated in 1811, but all is not lost
Mexico
• Jose Maria Morelos
– He takes up the fight after Hidalgo
– For the next 4 years he fights for independence
– In 1815 he is dealt the “death blow,” being defeated
by a creole named Agustin de Iturbid
True Independence for Mexico
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Events in Mexico take an odd turn in 1820
Revolution in Spain causes fear among the elite
Creoles fear they will lose all their power so…
They join the fight for independence
Agustin de Iturbide makes peace with the rebels
(mestizos and Natives) and claims independence
in 1821
True Independence for Mexico
• Mexico rules over all of Central America
• Once Mexico gains it’s independence (via
Iturbide) Central America wants independence
fro Mexico
• This happens but…
• Iturbide fights it claiming himself emperor only
to be overthrown in 2 years
• When he is gone independence is granted to C.
America
Brazil
• No blood was shed in this revolution
• 1807 Napoleon is marching to Portugal to
subdue their trade (remember the Continental
System?)
• As Napoleon nears Lisbon (capital of Portugal)
the royal family flees by ship
• Where do they go?
Brazil
• Once the royal family arrives in Brazil it becomes
the center of Portugal’s empire
• However, when Napoleon is defeated in 1815 the
royal family moves back to Portugal and the power
slowly moves with them
• Brazil cannot become a colony again after the
importance they felt of 14 years
• They ask King John’s son (through a petition) to
take over, and he does in 1822 giving Brazil it’s
independence
Independence Brings Trouble
• Independence brings:
– Poverty
– Destroys:
• Trade, cities, and the countryside
• With all of these problems L.A. quickly falls apart.
• Places that once thought they would unite to create
grand republics fracture into smaller units
• We will see this same process take place in Europe