Latin American Independence

1
Latin American Independence
2
Colonial Economy

• Portuguese and Spanish colonies Brazil, Mexico,
  most of South America
• Encomienda system
• Haciendas
• European diseases kill Indians
• Slaves introduced to South America

3
Colonial Society

• Social classes and ranks royal officials, owners
  of officials, owners of large estates, mine
  owners
• Peninsulares, original citizens of Spain or
  Portugal
• Creoles, Spaniards born in colonies
• Mestizos, American Indian and European background
• Mulattoes, African and European ancestry

4
Haitis Slave Revolution

• 1791 slave revolt in Saint Domingue
• Mulattoes and blacks united under the leadership
  of Toussaint-Louverture, a free slave, only
  successful slave revolted by slaves anywhere in
  the world

5
Mexico and Central America

• Napoleon's conquest of Spain provided a perfect
  time for the colonists to gain independence
• the cry of Dolores
• Revolts in Mexico led by Hidalgo, Pavon and
  Iturbide, all failed
• Iturbide would declare independence in 1821
• Central America declared independence from Mexico
  in 1823.

6
Spanish South America

• Independence led by Simon Bolivar "the Liberator"
• La Palta in 1811, New Granada in 1819, Venezuela
  in 1821
• Bolivar became president of Gran Colombia
  (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama
• Martin and O'Higgins led revolts in Chile and
  Peru, 1818
• Upper Peru became a separate republic and named
  Bolivia

7
Foreign Reactions to Independence

• The Monroe Doctrine, 1832, President Monroe
  claimed that US would not intervene in colonies,
  and would oppose any power that tried to
  reestablish lost or new colonies