2. Today
Quiz
Latin American Independence
Map Activity

3. Quiz

4. Latin American Independence

5. Latin American Society
Known as a sociedad de castas - based on racial origins:
peninsulares - born in Spain - Spanish government officials, church officials - the clergy: priests, monks
Creoles - born in America - controlled local economies, owned haciendas (plantations) and mines
Castas - mestizos and mulattos - those of mixed origins
Indians and African slaves

6. 4 outside events that prompted it:
Enlightenment ideas of liberalism spread among Creoles
American Revolution showed how it could be done - inspired revolutionary leaders
French Revolution idea of “liberty, equality and fraternity”.
Fear of Haiti’s slave revolt made Creoles act quickly.

7. Short-term cause - What sparked it?
Napoleon forces invade Iberian Peninsula
Problem of legitimacy - What is the legitimate government of Spain?
Peninsulares do not recognize the government of Spain

8. 3 separate revolutions:
Mexico
Northern South America: Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador
Southern South America: Argentina

9. Mexico
Mexico - Father Miguel de Hidalgo - leads Indians and mestizos - Creoles fear this
Augustin de Iturbide - Creole officer takes over - proclaimed emperor of Mexico 1821
The rest of Central America separates from Mexico which becomes a republic.

10. Northern part of South America
Simon Bolivar - Bolivar The Liberator: wealthy Creole - creates Gran Colombia by 1830.
Is the George Washington of South America

11. Southern Cone of South America
Jose de San Martin - Buenos Aires, Argentina and Chile, Peru
By 1825 all of Spanish South America had gained its political independence.

12. ¡VIVA CHILE!

13. Brazil A totally different path to independence.
Napoleon forces in Portugal leads royal family to move to Brazil - Rio de Janeiro.
When king returns to Portugal, youngest son stays - warns him if independence comes he should lead it.
He does he becomes Dom Pedro I

14. Independence of Latin America
Except for Brazil - all become republics
Mexico a temporary monarchy and then a republic
Haitian revolution made Latin American revolutionaries very conservative - social revolutions were avoided

15. Early governments of Latin America
Problems: social inequalities, disagreements over political representation and the role of the church and regionalism

16. Debate over political instability and struggling economies of Latin American nations:
Nations have been unable to rule themselves due to corrupt governments leading to a lack of economic development.
VS.
Western imperialist powers like the U.S. have interfered with these nations leading to neocolonialism.