2. Setting the Stage
Success of American Revolution, where the Latin Americans had been living under Spanish rule as colonies since the 1500s
Many Latin Americans wanted change in the colonies; especially the social system that they had lived under for over 150 years
Over time and interaction, Europeans changed the makeup of Latin America
Spaniards born in Spain and came to Latin America were called Peninsulares
Europeans born in Latin America - Creoles (Criollos);
Children from Europeans/Natives - Mestizos – mixed race (A new breed of people)
Children from Europeans/Africans - Mulattos
Children from Africans and Natives - Zambos
Slaves and children of slaves were often treated better/had more opportunities than Native Americans

4. Revolution in Haiti
Success of American/French Revolutions prompt the Creoles (and some Mestizos) to consider revolution in their countries
First country to experience revolution was Haiti
Colony owned by France; 500,000 slaves worked plantations (outnumbered their masters significantly
Slaves were worked so hard that half would die in a few years; 12 hour work days
Routinely whipped, beaten, mutilated etc. as punishment – serve as example
French Declaration of the Rights of Man (from the French Revolution) inspired Toussaint L’ Overture, a former slave, to lead a revolution against the French settlers
Torched plantations and massacred white French settlers

7. Revolution in Haiti (Cont.)
1801 – Toussaint took complete control of the island of Haiti
1802 – Under Napoleon’s orders, 30,000 French troops arrive in Haiti to remove Toussaint from power
Toussaint used political maneuverings to keep him out of prison for a time until he received notifications to meet with a French official regarding colonial management
Arriving at the meeting resulted in Toussaint being captured and taken to France
He was imprisoned in the French Alps; possibly died from malnutrition, pneumonia, maybe tuberculosis
Toussaint’s lieutenant Jean-Jacques Dessalines continued the fight and declared Haiti an independent nation in 1804
Trouble followed Dessalines and his predecessors because they forced many former slaves to continue working on the plantations to produce sugar to pay back on debts – often led to their own deaths and assassinations

8. Creole Revolutions
Even though Creoles had less social influence than native born Europeans, they were still better educated and had more opportunities
They also had access to works published by the Enlightenment thinkers (essays and pamphlets via the printing press)
Napoleon’s conquest of Spain in 1808 triggered movement towards independence in the Spanish colonies
Napoleon placed his brother, Joseph, on the Spanish throne – kicked out the old Spanish king
Creoles didn’t want to support a French king – “Consent of the Governed”

9. Creole Revolutions (Cont.)
Simon Bolivar, a career soldier from a well-to-do family, joined the Spanish-American resistance movement in South America when Napoleon Bonaparte put his brother (Joseph) on the French throne
Formed a resistance army of volunteers in his home country Venezuela in 1811
Had to go into exile in Haiti due to military conflicts with loyalists/royalists
1819 – Led his army through the Andes Mountains in a surprise attack against the city of Bogota (Columbia) – took the Spanish army by surprise and won a decisive victory
1821 – Simon Bolivar defeated Spanish forces – won independence for Venezuela

11. Revolutionary Leaders Journal Entries
Students will get articles of leaders during the Creole/Latin Revolutions: Toussaint L’ Overture, Simon Bolivar, and Father Miguel Hidalgo.
Students will create journal entries for each revolutionary leader (4 each). They will be about:
Background
Reasons they started/got involved with the revolution in their home countries
Important battles/events
Actions after the revolution/influence on the revolution
Each journal entry must be 3-5 sentences long/ Paragraph
Write down where journal entries for the revolutionary leaders begins and ends.
Entries are due at the end of the period

12. Toussaint – Background Entry
Dear Diary,
Just to make sure you remember, my name is Toussaint L’Overture. I was born to an educated slave. My education was limited, but I worked hard to earn my master’s favor. I used to work as a livestock manager, then a coachmen and finally a Stewart. I was legally freed in 1776, whereupon I got married and later had two sons.