1. 20.3 Revolts in Latin America

2. LEQ: Who were the key revolutionaries who led
the movements for independence in Latin
America, and what were their
accomplishments?

3. Background:
Liberal ideas spread to Latin America with
explosive results. From Mexico to the tip of
South America, revolutionary movements
arose to overthrow the European powers.
By 1825, most of Latin America was free from
colonial rule.

4. After 300 years of colonial rule, the
revolutionary fever of Europe also gripped
Latin Americans.
Many groups were unhappy with the strict social
structure found across most of Latin America.

5. Discontent was rooted in the social, racial, and
political structure.
Spanish-born upper class; held top
peninsulares
government and church positions
European descent; resented second-
creoles class status; owned mines, haciendas,
and ranches

6. Discontent was rooted in the social, racial, and
political structure. (continued)
A growing group of people of mixed
mestizos
European and Native American descent
Of mixed European and African
mulattoes descent; angry about lack of status and
opportunities
Many were enslaved on plantations and
Africans
longed for freedom

7. Educated creoles read Many traveled to
Enlightenment writers Europe and were
and saw the North inspired by the
Americans throw off ideals of the French
colonial rule. Revolution.
In 1808 Napoleon invaded Spain. They saw Spain’s
weakness as an opportunity to gain independence.

8. • Toussaint L’Overture – self-educated former slave
who led an uprising against Napoleon
in Haiti
Before any revolts took place in Spanish colonies,
a rebellion began in French-controlled Haiti.
• By 1798 the rebels had
Enslaved Africans taken most of Haiti.
led by Toussaint
L’Ouverture • Napoleon sent an army
to retake the island.
began a bloody
revolution in 1791. • Despite a truce, they
arrested L’Ouverture,
who died in France.
The French were defeated and left Haiti in 1804.

9. • But most had no
In most of Spanish desire for economic
America, creoles or social disruption.
wanted more
• The slave revolt in
power and control.
Haiti worried them,
because most owned
haciendas, mines, or
farms. Some used
slave labor.

10. • Father Miguel Hidalgo – a creole priest who in
1810 called for freedom and an end to slavery for
Mexicans; led a revolt
In September 1810 a parish priest, Father
Miguel Hidalgo, called for Mexicans to fight
for their independence.
A ragged army of poor Despite some early
mestizos and Native successes, without
Americans marched creole support the
on Mexico City. rebellion collapsed.
Hidalgo was captured and executed.

11. • Father José Morelos – mestizo priest who called for
wide-ranging reforms in Mexico, including an end to
slavery; led a revolt
Another priest, Father José Morelos, began
another rebellion.
He urged reforms such as the abolition of slavery, and the
right to vote for all men.
For four In 1815 he It looked like
years, rebels was taken the rebel
with Morelos prisoner and movement
fought. executed. had ended.

12. In 1820, liberals forced the Spanish king
to issue a constitution for Mexico.
A conservative creole, Agustín de Iturbide,
feared that the new Spanish government might
impose liberal reforms on the colonies.

13. Aided by creoles, • Mexico was now
native Americans, free!
and mestizos, • Iturbide took
Iturbide the title of
overthrew the Emperor
Spanish viceroy. Agustín I.

14. Iturdide tried to add
During the 1820s
these lands to his
other Spanish-ruled
new Mexican empire.
lands in Central
America declared • Liberal Mexicans
independence. toppled Iturdide and
established the
Republic of Mexico.
These lands became the republics of Costa Rica,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras.

15. • Simón Bolívar – known as “the liberator”; freed several
South American nations from European rule, including
Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador,
and Bolivia
In 1810 Simón Bolívar led an uprising to
create a republic in Venezuela.
• The republic was quickly
toppled by conservative
forces, who forced him into
exile.
• However, Bolívar
responded with a daring
plan.

16. Bolívar and his army crossed the Andes; in
August 1819, he surprised the Spanish in
Bogotá, now capital of Colombia.
Other victories Bolívar moved on
followed; by 1821 to Ecuador, Bolivia,
Caracas was free. and Peru.
Now called “The Liberator,” he joined forces with
José de San Martín.

17. • José de San Martín – an Argentine creole who led
armies against colonial rule in Argentina, Chile, and
Peru
In 1816 José • He then led an army over
de San Martín the Andes to defeat the
helped win Spanish in Chile.
independence • Moving next to Peru, he
for Argentina. turned his forces over to
Bolívar, who was victorious.
By 1824, the new nation of Gran Colombia was free.
However, rivalries turned to civil war and it split into
Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

18. • Dom Pedro – son of the king of Portugal who
became emperor of an independent Brazil
Under Dom Pedro, son of the Portuguese
king, Brazil became an independent nation.
• In 1822, Portugal threatened
When to end reforms in Brazil.
Napoleon
conquered • Dom Pedro declared himself
Portugal, emperor of a free Brazil.
Dom Pedro
• He accepted a constitution
fled to Brazil.
and many freedoms.
• Brazil remained a monarchy
until 1889.

19. LEQ: Who were the key revolutionaries who led
the movements for independence in Latin
America, and what were their
accomplishments?
Simón Bolívar, Toussaint L’Ouverture, Father Miguel
Hidalgo, Father José Morelos, and José de San Martín
helped Latin America gain independence from
European powers.