Causes of Latin American Independence

Long-Term Factors Implementation of Bourbon Reforms (undermined strength of Crown, rather than strengthened) Growing class consciousness (tensions between Creoles and Peninsulares) and growth of merchant middle class Unequal access to wealth Success of American and French Revolutions provided inspiration, justification and hopes for Latin America autonomy Theory of rising expectations (elites briefly held power, all experienced higher standard of living, then power and living standards declined) Enlightenment ideas encouraged revolutionary spirit Increasing and unequal taxation effected creoles, mestizos and Native Americans Anger over taxation issues led to native rebellions Rebellions led to the creation of a larger colonial militia Creation of a militia that would be prepared to fight against the Crown

Enlightenment ideas… Right to self-government (branches of gov, federal or parliamentary system, constitutional government) Reality… strong elites remained powerful, no female suffrage, no real native participation, assemblies not very representative Free labor and trade system Reality… saw logic of a capitalist system, but didn’t want to implement because elites feared foreign competition, lower classes lost land and became labor forces, worried Britain would take advantage of Latin American trade

Increased access to education Reality… private, access only for wealthy, church still powerful in educational realm Progress = modernization = “order” and “growth” Reality…associated urban Creole elites with “progress” and rural masses with “backwardness”, immorality and laziness, followed European models, favored “growth” over “development” – belief was what would benefit elites would benefit masses)

Immediate Causes 1796 Spain (allied with France) went to war with Britain - unsuccessful, had disastrous results for Spain - convinced many Creoles in the colonies that Spanish interests were not their interests Increased colonial taxation to pay for war British blockade of Spanish ports caused extreme shortage of consumer goods from Spain into the colonies and a loss of income from exports out of colonies - (1797 Spanish decree allowed foreign trade with neutral countries- disaster- revoked in 1799 – revocation was ignored, creating an even bigger problem)

This led to confusion and chaos in the colonies! War again with Britain in 1804 - by 1806 Spain was barely trading with colonies Napoleon’s invasion of Spain - France turned on Spain during invasion of Portugal - Napoleon put his brother, Joseph, on the throne and overthrew Ferdinand VII (1808) - Spanish nationalists opposed this and set up a junta in Seville - This junta declared that the Spanish territories in the Americas were free This led to confusion and chaos in the colonies!