Kenneth Li

Euro Hist
6th Period
12-5-07
Ch. 25 pg 708-713

I. Wars of Independence in Latin America

1) Wars of French Revolution sparked movements for independence.
2) Portugal lost control of Brazil; Spain forced to withdraw from American
empire.
A. Eighteenth-Century Developments
1) Spain was one of defeated powers in 1763.
i) In 1765, monarch abolished monopolies of Seville and Cadiz.
2) In 1776, organized viceroyalty in the region of Rio de la Plata.
i) Attempted to make tax collection more efficient and eliminate
corruption.
ii) Introduced intendents into empire who were loyal only to brown.
3) Reforms took place during same years as unsuccessful British effort to
reorganize authority; largely succeeded in returning empire to direct
Spanish control.
i) Many peninsulares, whites born in Spain, went to New World.
ii) Expanded trade likewise brought more Spanish merchants.
B. First Movements Toward Independence
1) Haiti achieved independence from France in 1804.
i) Had following slave revolt that in 1794 was led by Toussaint
L’Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
ii) South American continent was Creole elite who led movements against
Spain and Portugal.
iii) Creoles were determined that political independence from Spain and
Portugal shouldn’t cause social disruption by loss of privileges.
2) Creole complaints resembled American colonists against Great Britain.
i) Wanted to trade more freely and have commercial regulations.
3) Creoles feared Spanish would affect their life; also hated Spanish favoring
peninsulares for political patronage.
i) Believed peninsulares improperly secured all best positions.
ii) Royal patronage system represented another device.
iii) Made Spain get wealth and income from America for own people.
4) From 1790s onward Spain suffered military reverses in wars with French
Revolution.
i) Military pressures led Spanish monarchy to tax much harder.
5) Creole leaders read Enlightenment philosophes and thought reform
programs and revolutionary example was required to transform
discontent to revolt.
i) Transforming event occurred in Europe when Napoleon toppled
Portuguese monarchy.
ii) Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil and made government there.
 6) Creole elite feared liberal Napoleonic monarchy in Spain.
i) Feared would impose reforms in Latin America harmful to economic
and social interests.
ii) Creole juntas, or political committees, claimed right to govern different
regions.
C. San Martin in Rio de la Plata
1) First region to assert independence was Rio de la Plata/modern Argentina
i) Citizens of Buenos Aires fought off British invasion.
ii) In 1810, junta in Buenos Aires not only thrust off Spanish authority, but
also set liberation forces against Paraguay and Uruguay.
2) Buenos Aires government remained determined to free Peru.
i) Peru was greatest stronghold of royalist power and loyalty.
ii) Jose de San Martin led Rio de la Plata forces over Andes Mountains.
iii) Had occupied Santiago in Chile, and established Chilean independence
D. Simon Bolivar’s Liberation of Venezuela
1) Simon Bolivar tried liberating the north.
i) Bolivar helped organize a liberating junta in Caracas, Venezuela.
ii) Between 1811 and 1814, civil war broke out throughout Venezuela.
iii) Bolivar had to go to exile when both slaves and royalists challenged
authority of republic.
iv) First captured Bogota, as base; then captured Caracas.
2) In 1822, armies of Bolivar and San Martin joined to free Quito.
i) San Martin believed monarchies were required, Bolivar did not.
ii) Not long, San Martin went into exile in Europe.
3) Bolivar purposefully allowed political situation in Peru fall in confusion.
i) Sent troops in 1823 to establish control.
ii) In December 1824, Spanish royalists had a suffering defeat.
E. Independence in New Spain
1) Local governing junta was organized.
i) Creole priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called for rebellion to Indians.
ii) Many workers responded.
iii) Father Hidalgo sent group of 80,000 unorganized followers into
Mexico City.
iv) Was captured and executed; leadership to movement fell to Jose Maria
Morelos y Pavon.
2) Conservative political groups in Mexico found recently achieved security
challenged from unexpected source.
i) Mexicans feared new liberal reforms on Mexico.
ii) Agustin de Iturbide was declared independent of Spain.
iii) Shortly, declared emperor. Didn’t last long.
3) Great Britain highly sympathetic to independence movements in Latin
America.
i) Independence opened markets of continent to British trade.
ii) Great Britain supported American Monroe Doctrine that let more
colonization and intervention.
F. Brazilian Independence
1) Brazilian independence came peacefully and simply.
i) Portuguese family took refuge with several government officials.
ii) Transformation respects long overdue b/c Brazil was wealthier than
Portugal.
iii) Pedro, son of Joao that had left Pedro in Brazil, embraced Brazilian
independence against recolonializing efforts of Portugal.
iv) He became emperor of independent Brazil, which remained monarchy.
2) Political and social elite there were determined to preserve slavery against
forces that were challenging.
i) Wars of Independence elsewhere had led abolition of slavery.