 Finding cheap labor was a goal of the Europeans in America in the 1500s.  Gold and silver found by conquistadors made Spain and Portugal wealthy.  The wealth also made them powerful countries.  At first, these metals could be taken from the native people.  As these supplies were used up, the Europeans decided to try to set up mines to get more.

 As more Europeans came to the Americas, some tried to find ways to grow crops that could be sold in Europe.  Sugar cane grew well in the Caribbean and in the tropics of Central and South America.  The sugar cane was used to make sugar, molasses, and rum.  Both of these projects required a large and cheap labor force.

 The native people were not a good choice for labor.  Millions died from diseases brought by the Europeans.  More died because of violence with the Europeans.  Natives that were forced to farm or work in mines faced harsh conditions.  Many of them died as well.  Many of the indigenous people simply retreated into the mountains or into the jungles.  The Europeans then looked to Africa for labor.

 Africans were brought to the Americas by ship.  For many, the difficult journey ended in death by starvation or disease.  Once they arrived in the New World, the Africans were forced to work on plantations or in mines.  Long working hours, poor housing, and poor nutrition made life difficult.  Children born to the Africans were considered slaves too.  They faced a lifetime of work with no chance of freedom.

 For about three hundred years, businesses that depended on slavery grew.  The laborers—slaves—grew in numbers as the plantations expanded.  Most of them lived in the tropical areas near the coast where large farms could be built.  This labor force helped to build many of the countries of Latin America, but most of the wealth was sent back to Europe.  As different countries gained freedom from Europe in the 1800s, they ended slavery.

 The governments of Spain and Portugal ruled most of Latin America for nearly three hundred years.  In that time, there were numerous battles for control of the lands.  At times, the people who were being ruled by the Europeans grew restless.  They thought about what it would be like to be free.

 The American Revolution in 1776 gave some in Latin America the idea that they too could be free.  In 1789, the French Revolution showed that the kings and queens of Europe could be overcome.  These events encouraged Latin Americans in the belief that they might be able to overcome their European rulers.

 Toussaint L’Ouverture was a famous black freedom fighter.  He was a major leader of the slave revolts in Saint Domingue (present-day Haiti).  He was later made governor of Saint Domingue.

 Francois-Domingue Toussaint was born a slave in the mid-1700s.  His father had been a free African who was captured and sold into slavery in Saint Domingue.  He told his son about freedom and what life was like before his capture.

 Toussaint was lucky because the plantation owner allowed him to learn to read and write.  Toussaint read every book that he could.  He read books that were popular in France.  These books had ideas about freedom and equality for all men.

 In 1789, the French Revolution occurred. The new government in France granted freedom to all free blacks and mulattoes (those with African and European ancestors).  However, the plantation owners in Saint Domingue were furious.  In 1791, the French government changed its mind and took back the freedom it had given to blacks and mulattoes.  This time, the slaves were furious.  Toussaint led a slave army and defeated the French troops.

 By 1793, the French government abolished slavery altogether.  Toussaint then led his men against invading British and Spanish troops.  During this time, he was nicknamed Toussaint L’Ouverture, or “opening,” because he seemed to be able to find openings in the defenses of his enemies.  In the end, Toussaint L’Ouverture was left in charge of Saint Domingue even though it was officially a French colony.

 In 1802, the French emperor Napoleon sent troops to regain control.  Some thought that he also wanted to reinstate slavery.  Toussaint L’Ouverture was invited to a meeting with a French general to discuss a peace treaty.  Instead, Toussaint was captured, arrested, and sent to France.  He was imprisoned and died shortly after.  Within two years, the people of Saint Dominigue declared their independence and renamed their country Haiti.

 Simon Bolivar was a leader in the wars for independence in South America.  He and other leaders fought against Spanish rule.  They wanted independence for all the people in Latin America.  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela won their independence through his efforts.

 Bolivar was born in 1783, in Caracas, in what is now Venezuela.  He was from a wealthy family.  He had an excellent education and read many books with ideas on freedom and equality.  He lived at the time of the French Revolution and through that learned of the defeat of the French royal family.

 From 1810 to 1824, Bolivar led different groups of troops against Spanish rule.  He fought in the lands that are now Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama.  He was able to finally defeat the Spanish in 1824 and end Spanish rule in South America.  The country of Bolivia was named for Bolivar, and he wrote a constitution to organize the country.

 Bolivar is known as “The Liberator” in South America.  He is also sometimes called the “George Washington of South America.”  He became dictator and tried to create a single, large South American country called Gran Colombia.

 It covered the entire northern part of South America.  Fights among different groups caused the different countries to break up.  Bolivar became infected with tuberculosis and died from the disease in 1830.

 Miguel Hidalgo is known as the father of Mexican independence.  He was a priest who led a peasant army against the Spanish army in Mexico, which was then called New Spain.  His force won some victories, but Hidalgo did not live to see independence.

 Hidalgo was born in His family saw that he got a good education.  As he grew up, he read books with ideas on freedom and equality.  He saw that there was not equality for the peasant workers in Mexico.  He also saw that those born in Spain got special treatment, compared to citizens born in Mexico.  After training to be a priest, he worked among the native people and peasants.

 In 1808, France invaded Spain, and the king was removed.  This created problems in Mexico.  People were not sure they supported the new French government.  Others did not support the old Spanish government.  A third group thought it was time for Mexico to be independent.  Hidalgo and his friends were for the third choice.

 In 1810, Hidalgo was warned that he was going to be arrested.  Those loyal to the French government had turned him in.  On September 16, instead of running away, he ran to his church and rang the bell.  People from the countryside came in.  Instead of having a church service, the people got a speech.  In this speech, Hidalgo said it was time for Mexico to be free.

 At first, thousands of people followed Hidalgo.  They won several victories against the Spanish army.  However, they did not have training, and they did not have many weapons.  Eventually, the Spanish army pulled its forces together and mounted an attack.

 They defeated a group of the rebels and captured Hidalgo.  He was tried for treason and found guilty.  He was executed by Spanish soldiers on July 30, 1811, but the war for independence continued.  Mexico did not win its independence for another ten years.  In 1821, Spain withdrew the last of its troops from Mexico.

 Describe the influence of African slavery on the development of the Americas.  Explain the Latin American independence movement; include the importance of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Simon Bolivar, and Miguel Hidalgo.