1. Latin American Independence

3. Latin American Society
6 groups
2 power groups
Controlled land, wealth, and power in Spanish colonies
Peninsulares- people born in Spain
Tiny part of population
Held high offices in Spanish colonial government
Creoles- Spanish people born in Latin America
No political office, BUT could be officers in Spanish colonial army
Mestizos- European/Indian mixed
Mulattos- European/African mixed
Enslaved Africans
Indians

4. Revolution in Haiti
St. Domingue (Haiti)- 1st Latin American colony to free itself from European rule
500,000 enslaved Africans worked French plantations in Haiti
1791 (during French Rev.)- 100,000 slaves rose up in revolt
Toussaint L’Ouverture
Formerly enslaved
Unfamiliar w/ military & diplomatic matters
Became skilled general
Took over island & freed all enslaved Africans
Napoleon sent troops to stop Rev.
Toussaint captured & sent to French prison in Alps
1804- Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Declared Haiti’s independence

5. Creoles Lead Independence
Least oppressed
Best educated- traveled to Europe to study & came back with new ideas
Napoleon’s invasion of Spain caused revolts in Spanish colonies
Napoleon removed Spanish King & placed his brother as King
Felt no loyalty to foreign King (wasn’t Spanish)
2 most famous creoles
Simon Bolivar
Jose de San Marin

6. Simon Bolivar Wealthy Venezuelan creole
1811- Venezuela declares independence
Led volunteer army & was defeated several times
1819- turning point
Led army of 2,000 through Andes Mts. (Colombia)
Ambushed Spanish army & won major victory
1821 he won Venezuela’s independence
Marched south to Ecuador to meet Jose de San Martin

7. Jose de San Martin Creole from Argentina
1816- Argentina declared/won independence
Spain still controlled Chile & Peru
Chile-1817
San Martin marched his army across the Andes to Chile
Joined forces with Bernardo O’Higgins
Fought together to free Chile
Peru
Agrees to let Bolivar command his army
Defeats Spanish in Peru & gains its independence in 1824
Future countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, & Ecuador united to form a country called “Gran Colombia”

8. Miguel Hidalgo Miguel Hidalgo
Catholic priest in a small village (Mexico)
1810 rang bells of his church and gathered all the peasants to start a rebellion against Spain
80,000 men marched toward Mexico City
Spanish army & creoles feared losing property and land fought back
Hidalgo was defeated in 1811
Started the push for Mexican independence

9. Mexico’s Independence
1820- Spanish Rev. placed liberal group in control of Spain
Mexican creoles feared loss of privileges
Rallied together & declared their independence from Spain
Agustin de Iturbide
Declared & won independence from Spain in 1821
Became dictator
Central America
Declared independence from Spain & Mexico
Iturbide refused to recognize declarations & was overthrown
1823 gained independence
Named “United Provinces of Central America”
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, & Costa Rica

11. Brazil’s Independence
Gained independence without fighting
Helped by royal family in Portugal
1807- Napoleon invaded Spain & Portugal
French troops neared Lisbon (Portuguese capital)
Royal family loaded ships with their court & royal treasury
Moved capital of Portugal to Brazil (largest Portuguese colony)
Rio de Janiero became capital of Portugal
Independence
Portuguese royal family returned home in 1821
Dom Pedro- King John’s son remained in Brazil
King John wanted Brazil to become a colony again
8,000 creoles signed a petition asking Dom Padre to grant independence
1822- Dom Padre grants Brazil independence from Portugal