Latin America. New Ideas in Europe 16 th -18 th centuries.

Latin America

New Ideas in Europe16th-18th centuries

Causes of Latin American Revolutions

1. Enlightenment Ideas

• NATURAL LAWS govern natural science and human society.

• Give people rights life, liberty, property!

• Make fair societies based on reason possible.

• Challenged the theory of “Divine Right” monarchy.

2. Creole Discontent– Person of European descent

born in the West Indies or Latin America

– Left out of government jobs and trade concessions

3. Inspiration of American & French Revolutions

Declaration of Independence--1776

Declaration of the Rights of Man & of the

Citizen--1789

4. Preoccupation of Spain & Portugal

In Fighting Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon on the March

Provides a model & a diversion!

Napoleon’s Role

• Attacked Portugal and Spain• Toppled their rulers• Weakened their control of

the Colonies

– Spanish king is imprisoned by Napoleon in 1808

Revolts led by the Creole elite--

landowners

Latin American

Revolutions!

Question of Slavery• In France Friends of Blacks

club advocated abolition of slavery

• Abolished in France September 1791

• Opposed by French plantation owners in West Indies

• National Convention February 4, 1794 abolishes slavery in colonies

Toussaint L’Ouverture

1791

•Leader of revolt with over 100,000 followers

•After 10 years he gained control of island, issued constitution and became the effective ruler of Saint Domingue

•Napoleon sends LeClerc who captures L’Ouverture, chains him and takes him to France

Independence declared in Haiti

(1804)

Former French Sugar Colony the first Independent State in Latin America

Vodoun [Voodoo]

•A religious cult practiced chiefly in Caribbean countries (especially Haiti)

•Involves witchcraft and animistic deities

Slave Revolt Who’s POV?

Spain and Portugal Suppress Revolts

• Aided by Creoles and Mazombos [American born direct descendants of Portuguese settlers]

• Saw themselves linked more closely with Spain and Portugal’s rulers

• Feared rebellion more than their desire for independence

Question of Slavery

• Britain abolishes slave trade in the British Empire in 1807 fearing slave revolts

• US prohibits trade with Haiti and ends international slave trade in 1808

• Slavery itself is abolished in Britain in 1833 and in the US in 1863

What helps to end slavery??

• Slave population outnumbers slave owners

• Immoral

• Philosophes

• Adam Smith

Consequences for the end of slavery

Workers imported

from China and

India

1810 Mexico Revolts Leaders

• Father Miguel Hidalgo

• Father Jose Morales– a mestizo

Morales’ Goals

• displace Spanish and Creole elites

• abolish slavery

• revoke special privileges of church

Parish priest led

peasant rebellion

Mexico’s Path

• 1821 independence

• 1823 Republic declared

• Unstable for decades

• 1836 Mexican American War—– Texas declares independence

Brazil• When Napoleon captured

Portugal the royal family escaped to Brazil establishing their rule for the next 13 years.

• King raised legal status of Brazilians to that of Portuguese

• Expanded Rio de Janeiro as center of trade, administration, education and culture

• Independence 1822 with help of Prince Pedro

Simon Bolivar

• Venezuela• Wealthy Creole officer• Educated in Europe with

enlightenment ideas• Joined a growing class of

merchants who resented Spanish and Portuguese domination of trade

• United into new nation—Gran Columbia [Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela]

The “Muscle” of the RevolutionBolivar coming

from the North.

José de St. Martín and Bernard O’Higgins cross the Andes Mountains.

Bolivar’s Accomplishment

Bolivar’s Failure

After uniting Venezuela, Columbia, & Ecuador into Gran Columbia, he left to help free the rest of Latin America.

He died a year later, with his goal of uniting all of South America unfulfilled!

Results of the Revolutions

1. Brazil Freed from Portugal

The Portuguese royal family escaped Napoleon by fleeing to Brazil.

Pedro I set up a new, independent kingdom in 1821 when his father returned to Portugal.

Pedro II assumed full power after Pedro I abdicated his throne.

2. Independence for Spanish &

Portuguese Latin America By the mid-1820s, revolts create many

newly-independent nations.

3. No Unity!

Failure of Bolivar’s dream for a united South America:

Many newly independent countries struggle with civil wars.

By 1830s’ defeated attempts at unification.

geographic factors—mountain, the Amazon, etc.

cultural differences

4. Independence Brought More Poverty

Wars disrupted trade.

Wars devastated cities and countryside.

5. Left Many Countries in the Control of Caudillos

WHO WERE THEY?:

Mid-19c dictators military authoritarianism.

Mostly wealthy Creole aristocrats.

Posed as reformers with goals to improve the economy and better the lives of the common people. BUT…Overthrew governments and took away basic human rights.

Some attempted to make improvements, but most just cared about themselves and their families and friends [nepotism].

Power changes usually occurred at bayonet-point [coup d’etats!]

What is the

Message?

Additional Problems

Feuds among leaders. Geographic barriers. The social hierarchy continued from the

past. Conservatives favored the old social

order. Liberals wanted land reform. Dependence on foreign nations for

capital and for economic investments.

The Caribbean: an “American Lake”

“The Colossus of the North”

US dominated affairs in the Americas.

1823 – Monroe Doctrine. US takes Texas US gains independence

for Cuba. US built Panama Canal

– “Yankee Imperialism.”

The Panama Canal

Cause of the Mexican Revolution of 1910?

Mexican Revolutionaries

Madero, a liberal reformer, democratically elected in 1911, assassinated two years later by his general, Huerto

Porfirio Diaz

Faced with rebellion he resigns after holding power for almost 30 years

Pancho Villa

Zapata

Huerto sets up dictatorship

Rebel leaders, Zapata and Villa, fight to improve lives of peasants

Carranza, a rich landowner, defeats Zapata and Villa, becomes president of Mexico in 1917. A new constitution passes but reforms are slow

Carranza

Post Revolution Latin America• Loss of population, property, livestock because of war• Boundary disputes with other new nations• Poor transportation and communication making unity

within nation difficult• Little experience ruling as a republic• Britain replaced Spain and Portugal as dominating the

economy• Exportation of raw materials while importing finished

goods reducing industrial production in Latin America leading to more foreign domination of their economy

• Land remained basis of wealth, social prestige, political power throughout 19th century