Latin American Independence January 19, 2010

Background The European countries of Spain and Portugal ruled most of Latin American for nearly 300 years Although many battles were fought with Europeans rulers, the Latin Americans could never win However, after the American Revolution ended in 1776, Latin Americans were convinced that their European colonizers could be overcome 3 men in particular are famous for their roles in the Latin American independence movement

Toussaint L’Ouverture Lived in Saint Domingue, (present-day Haiti), which was controlled by France He was a slave on a plantation He was able to learn to read and write, something that not very many slaves were able to do This is where he learned about ideas like freedom and equality for all men

Toussaint L’Ouverture’s fight for freedom In 1789, the French Revolution happened in France, and all slaves were granted their freedom In 1791, the French took away that freedom Toussaint led a revolt against French troops and won In 1793, when France really did abolish slavery, Toussaint led his troops against British and Spanish invaders He was put in charge of Saint Domingue, even though it was still a French colony

Freedom for Saint Domingue In 1802, French troops were sent to try and regain control Toussaint was tricked into a meeting, where he was captured, and sent to France He was put in prison, where he eventually died Within two years, the people of Saint Domingue had declared their independence and renamed their country Haiti

Simon Bolivar Born in Venezuela, where he grew up in a wealthy family He led many troops against Spanish rule in Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama He finally defeated the Spanish in 1824

Bolivar’s Rule in South America Bolivar became dictator and tried to create a unified country in the northern part of South America However, fighting among different groups caused it to break up He died in 1830

Miguel Hidalgo Born in 1753 in Mexico, he grew up to become a priest He saw that life wasn’t as good for people born in Mexico as it was for people who were of Spanish descent When France invaded Spain, Hidalgo saw his chance to do something about Spanish rule in Mexico

Hidalgo’s fight for freedom… Hidalgo had thousands of followers, but they had no military training or good weapons They won several battles, but Hidalgo was eventually captured and executed in 1811 Although Mexico didn’t win it’s independence from Spain for another 10 years, the people have Hidalgo to thank for starting the fight

Your Assignment P. 183 #2,4 P. 184 #14