2. LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS: MENU
CAUSES of
the Revolution
EFFECTS of
the Revolution
LEADERS of
the Revolution

3. CAUSES of Latin American Revolutions
PROBLEMS OF
THE SPANISH EMPIRE
THE AGE OF
ENLIGHTENMENT
CAUSES of Latin American Revolutions
THE
AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
THE
FRENCH
REVOLUTION

4. THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Before the Age of Enlightenment, kings were placed on the throne by God. Only God can remove them.
* However, after the age of Enlightenment, people realized that:
* Government is based on a contract between the ruler and the ruled.
* Government exists to protect the citizens’ natural rights of life, liberty, & property.
* If the government violates the natural rights of the people, the citizens have a right to revolt against that tyranny.
CAUSES

5. PROBLEMS IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE Part I
* Political Disempowerment (deprived of influence or importance) :
Spanish colonies were run by the Council of the Indies, a group appointed by the King that met in Spain and sent its directives across the Atlantic. (Directives are orders or demands
of the Colonists in the Americas).
Those directives were carried out by the viceroys, officials appointed by Spain to govern the colonies.

6. PROBLEMS IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE Part II
* Economic Disempowerment:
Spain had the first right to colonial goods and resources. Excluding all competitors, economic policy was set for Spain’s maximum benefit.
Spanish Colonies
in the Americas 
 Spain
So, these are the poor colonists in the Americas! What’s it to me?

7. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
* The success of the American Revolution showed others that colonies could succeed in overthrowing their more powerful mother countries.
CAUSES

8. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
* The Enlightenment leads many European writers to criticize the absolute monarchy and espouse democratic ideas
* The people of France grow disgusted with treatment from King Louis and Marie Antoinette
* The people storm the palaces and overthrow the monarchy (king and queen).
MENU
CAUSES

9. Causes of the Latin American fight for independence
There was an influence of the ideas developed during the Age of Enlightenment
The successful revolutions in the American colonies and the French Revolution
Spain demanded control of trade with its colonies

10. SOCIAL PYRAMID Latin American Social Hierarchy
Peninsulares
Native Spaniards
Creoles
People of pure
European blood
But born in the
New World P C
M & M
I & A
Mulattos
African + European blood
Mestizos:
Indian +
European
blood
Indians and Africans
CAUSES

11. LEADERS Miguel Hidalgo of Mexico Dom Pedro of Brazil
SANMARTIN
BOLIVAR
Dom Pedro of Brazil
LEADERS
Toussaint L‘Ouverture of Haiti
Simon Bolivar, liberator of Southwest South America
HIDALGO
MORELOS

12. Toussaint L‘Ouverture
*Haitian slave who was inspired by French Revolution
*He began military career as leader of 1791 slave rebellion in St. Dominque.
*Joined French after the revolutionary government abolished slavery
* Haiti became first of Latin American colonies to gain independence in 1804
LEADERS
MENU

13. MIGUEL HIDALGO
LEADERS
* Highly educated Creole priest assigned to town of Dolores.
* September 16, 1810: El Grito de Dolores. Hidalgo rang church bells and called upon his mestizo and indigenous parishioners to take up arms against the Spanish.
* Led a rag-tag army toward Mexico City, unleashing mass slaughter of peninsulares in path.
* Never made it to the capital. Instead, he was captured and shot in His work was completed by Jose Morelos.

14. LEADERS
Dom Pedro
*Brazil and Canada to the north were two examples of non-violent revolutions
* In early 1800s, French armies invaded Portugal
* Portugal’s royal family fled to Brazil
*The king returned to Portugal in 1821, leaving his son, Dom Pedro to rule the colony (Brazil).
*Dom Pedro took more power than expected by declaring Brazil independent

15. LEADERS
SIMON BOLIVAR
* He was an elite Creole planter who became a military general
* He was called the “George Washington of South America.”
* He liberated territories of modern day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia
* His plan for a federated Latin America was crushed by political in-fighting.

16. EFFECTS of Latin American Revolutions
POLITICAL
INTERNATIONAL
EFFECTS of Latin American Revolutions
ECONOMIC

17. POLITICAL Effects: THE CAUDILLOS
* By 1830, nearly all Latin American countries were ruled by caudillos.
WHY?
* The upper classes supported dictatorship because it kept the lower classes out of power.
* The lower classes did not have experience with democracy. So, dictatorship seemed normal.
EFFECTS

18. INTERNATIONAL Effects: THE MONROE DOCTRINE
“The American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” - James Monroe, 1823

19. WHY was the Monroe Doctrine Important?
* The War of 1812 with Britain had shown the U.S. that some-times revolutionary victories could lead to sequels.
WHY was the Monroe Doctrine Important?
* After the War of 1812 with England, America realized the first war for freedom may not be the only one. They wanted to prevent possible follow up wars for other new nations in the Western Hemisphere.
* The U.S. had political and economic interests in keeping Europe out of the Western hemisphere. From 1823 on, it would be the U.S.’ backyard.
* Though the U.S. did not have the muscle to back up its threats, Great Britain agreed to support the Monroe Doctrine due to its new favorable trading position in Latin America.
EFFECTS

20. ECONOMIC Effects of the Revolutions: ONE-CROP ECONOMIES
* Now that trade was not restricted to the Latin American’s mother country, the U.S. and Great Britain became the new Latin American countries’ major trading partners.
* A colonial economy continued - Latin America mainly exported cash crops and raw materials while importing manufactured goods.

21. AN IMBALANCE OF TRADE
* As the imbalance of trade grew, Latin American countries took out large loans from the U.S., Britain, and Germany to build infrastructure.
* When the countries could not pay back their loans, foreign lenders gained control of major industries in Latin America.

22. DID THE SOCIAL PYRAMID CHANGE?
THE QUESTION OF LAND
DID THE SOCIAL PYRAMID CHANGE?
NO!
* Once the Spaniards were expelled, the new governments seized their lands and put them up for sale, BUT…
* Only the creoles could afford to buy them.
* Thus, the creole replaced the peninsular at the top of the social pyramid…
* But other classes remained at the bottom of the social pyramid.
EFFECTS

23. King and council decided on laws and viceroys carried them out
Dictatorship of the Caudillos
Latin American countries were able to trade as they wished. Sold cash crops and imported manufactured goods which led to debt.
Unequal trade relationship with Spain benefiting
Native Spaniards at the top of the social ladder, followed by creoles, and with the rest of the population at the bottom
Creoles at the top of the ladder with the rest of the population at the bottom.

24. That’s All Folks!