C LATIN AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENTS

Causes Spain sets up colonies in the Americas Creoles and mestizos grow dissatisfied with Spanish rule- born free but not equal Enlightenment ideas spread to Americas Revolutions occur in North America and France Spain powers weakens when Napoleon takes over Strong leaders call for Independence

Revolution in Haiti Saint Domingue (now Haiti) was a French colony Relied on planation slavery to produce sugar

Every year thousands of slaves died from starvation, torture and murder

Slaves burned the sugar canes in the fields, plantations, and killed hundreds of slave owners

Toussaint L’Ouverture Former slave Fought against the British, Spanish and French armies Leader and General in Haitian Revolution Was able to take control of the territory, free the slaves, and created a constitution

Haiti After Independence Base of wealth- agriculture: sugar, coffee, cotton, etc. Most plantations had been burned down or destroyed. Skilled workers killed or fled country United States, Spain, Britain still slave nations would not trade with Haiti Did not industrialize because economy based on slave labor

Haiti Today GDP PER CAPITA$1,800 LIFE EXPECTANCY63.18 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE41% POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE59% LITERACY RATE61% Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere

South America Independence Independence Movement in South America were also violent Largely led by Simon Bolivar (creole) and Jose de San Martin (creole) Creoles often resented power of the peninsulares

Mexican Independence Led by a creole priest, Miguel Hidalgo September 16, 1810: El Grito de Dolores Hidalgo rang the church bell and called upon his mestizo and indigenous parishioners to take up arms against the Spanish Led an army toward Mexico City, unleashing mass slaughter of peninsulares in his path He never made it to the capital– captured and shot

Jose Morelos Mestizo priest who took over after Hidalgo’s death Established a congress which: Created a declaration of rights Abolished slavery Declared equality of classes Captured and executed in December 1815

Effects Many deaths occur Nations in Latin America win independence New nations write constitutions Civil wars break out Caudillos take power- strong military leaders Social pyramid changes New Nations become economically dependent on growing and selling one crop

Caudillos By 1830, nearly all Latin American countries ruled by Caudillos Strong military leaders- creoles WHY? The upper classes supported dictatorship because it kept the lower classes out of power Not a lot of experience with democracy

One Crop Economies Now that trade was not restricted to the mother country, the U.S. and Great Britain became the new countries’ major trading partners. A colonial economy continued…Latin America mainly exported cash crops and raw materials while importing manufactured goods. Imbalance of Trade As the imbalance of trade grew, Latin American countries took out large loans from the U.S., Britain, and Germany to build infrastructure. When the countries could not pay back their loans, foreign lenders gained control of major industries in Latin America.

The Question of Land Once the Spaniards were expelled, the new governments seized their lands and put them up for sale, BUT….only the creoles could afford to buy them. Thus, the creoles replaced the peninsulares at the top of the social pyramid, but other classes remained at the bottom of the ladder.

Spanish and Portuguese Empire Dictatorship of the Caudillos Unequal trade relationship with Spain benefiting Unequal trade relationship with Great Britain and the U.S. benefiting Native Spaniards at the top of the social ladder, followed by creoles, and with the rest of the population at the bottom Creoles at the top of the ladder with the rest of the population at the bottom. Political BeforeAfter Economic Social Summary