Latin American Revolutions Inspired by the Enlightenment, American Revolution and the French Revolution

Background info… Society in Spanish America was divided into 3 groups: peninsulares, creoles, and mestizos. A council in Spain made all the laws for the colonies. The peninsulares was the group that checked to see that the laws were carried out. The creoles wanted a say in the government.

Uprising in Haiti The French Revolution sparked a rebellion all the way across the ocean in Saint Domingue in the Caribbean. The reason for this rebellion was that the non-French people had learned about the “Declaration of the Rights of Man” in France, and so they wanted rights and citizenship as well. The French colonists said “no.”

Uprising in Haiti In 1794, the National Convention ended slavery in France’s colonies (Haiti was one of them). The French wanted to keep Saint Domingue. In order to keep control of this island, they had to beat Spain and Great Britain. France WON due to the leadership of Francois-Dominique Toussaint L’Overture fighting with Spain. (Spain switched sides and joined with France.)

Francois-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture He was born in 1743 to the son of a slave in the French colony of Saint Domingue. The plantation owner allowed him to learn to read and write. From books he learned about the Enlightenment. He joined the Haitian rebellion that broke out in 1791. His skills soon made him the rebel leader.

Francois-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture He was given the name, L’Ouverture, because of his bravery in battle. L’ouverture means “opening.” He once broke through an enemy line. After the rebellion, he was appointed by the French as the governor-general of the colony for LIFE. Napoleon tried to reinstate slavery in Haiti, and Toussaint was captured.

Uprising in Haiti Napoleon seized control of France in 1799. Once of his goals was to create an American empire. He wanted to restore slavery and put French officials in control of Haiti. He sent in troops to invade and take control. The invasion failed, but Toussaint was captured, sent to France and died in prison. Haiti earned its freedom on January 1, 1804. The name was changed from Saint Domingue to Haiti, which means a “higher” place.

Mexican Independence Mexico also paid attention to the Enlightenment and French Revolution. They wanted their independence from Spain. Father Miguel Hidalgo began a fight. He was inspired by the Enlightenment ideas of “liberty and equality.”

Mexican Independence On September 16, 1810, he rang the bell of his church and called on his people to rebel against the Spanish. This is the official beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Hidalgo’s army had over 60,000 people. They marched towards Mexico City with clubs and knives. They set up a government, returned land to Native Americans, and ended slavery.

Mexican Independence Unfortunately, he was not much of a general. And his army was no match for well-trained and well-armed Spanish troops. As a result, Hidalgo was caught, tried and executed. After his death, another leader came into power, Agustin de Irurbide. Eventually, Mexico declared its independence.

South America’s Revolution Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin were very important people in the fight for independence in South America. Both of them were sent by their families to Europe to study. While there, they learned about the Enlightenment. They became convinced that the colonies must free themselves from Spanish rule.

South America’s Revolution Bolivar returned to his home country, Venezuela. He spent 11 years trying to free it. And in 1821, he succeeded. He was called the “Liberator” and made president of the new republic of Gran Colombia. In 1812, San Martin returned from Europe to what is today Argentina. Part of the area had already declared its independence from Spain.

South America’s Revolution But, Spanish forces remained in what are today Chile and Peru. San Martin believed that freedom was not safe as long as Spanish forces remained anywhere in South America. In 1817, he put together an army of volunteers and marched them over the Andes Mountains. His plan worked. He caught the Spanish by surprise and defeated a large Spanish force.

South America’s Revolution In 1821, San Martin set out to capture Lima (Peru’s capital). His forces took Lima, but the Spanish army went into the mountains to get away. Bolivar and his army joined San Martin. The 2 men could not agree on tactics and San Martin withdrew. Bolivar’s forces freed the rest of Peru and by 1825, all that was left of the Spanish empire in the Americas were the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico.