1.) France
Notes:
Enlightenment ideas had already spread to the Americas.
Latin America was under European control, with most of it colonized by the Spanish at the time.
Once Napoleon invaded Spain and put his brother on the throne, Spanish colonists were inspired to act.
They didn't want to serve a French king
The first Latin American colony gained its independence in 1804.
Saint Domingue, now called Haiti, occupies one-half of the island of Hispaniola in the Carrbean Sea
Saint Domingue was a colony of France, while Santo Domingo was a colony of Spain.
After the French Revolution, Hatti rebeled.
Most of Saint Domingue's population was that of enslaved people.
They were very dependent on sugar plantations and those plantation owners (White People or the Spanish) forced africans to work on those sugar plantations. No pay. - 1789
The colonist's fear is that the enslaved Africans would organize an uprising.
In 1791, 100,000 enslaved people revolted against the plantation owners in Hatti. The rebels eventually gained control of the island and freed all those enslaved. They were led by a man named Toussaint L'Ouveture.
Toussaint L'Ouverture was an educated skilled general and diplomat. he died in a French prison before independence was won a year later (1804).
His constitution not only abolished slavery, it placed Toussaint at the head of the government. Napoleon wasn't going have that so he sent troops in to defeat the Hattians. They made a deal about no more slavery and that was that.
Until the French took him and he died in a French Prison.
Toussaint proclaimed Saint-Domingue's constitution on July 1, 1801.
Hatti became the first colony in Latin America (Caribbean) to gain its independance.
Spain's Class Structure
(based on birth)
-Peninsulares-
Born in Spain and could hold high offices in Spanish colonial government
-Criollos-
Spaniards born in Latin America. They ran the day-to-day operations of the colony. Held positions in government or officers in the army. Least oppressed, best educated. Sparked revolts
-Mestizos-
Mixed with European and Indian ancestry
-Mulattoes-
Mixed with European and African ancestry
-Enslaved Africans-
Most oppressed group
-American Indians/Native Americans-
Most oppressed group
Napoleon seized the Spanish throne which led to the Colonial control weakened and eventually, the colonies rebelled.
Criollos did not recognize the French king. Criollos believed the people should control the country.
Simon Bolivar, a general, liberated northern South America from Spanish rule. He was known as... The "Liberator" (ooh, imtimidating).
He wanted to create a unified Latin American republic, simular to the US.
Jose de San Martin, a Criollo who served in the Napoleon war, liberated Southern South America and led an army over the Andes Mountains to free Chile and led Argentine rebels against the Spanish colonial government.
He gave control of the army to Bolivar.
Together, Simon and Jose ended Spainish control of South America! (yay, happy ending. woo.)
In 1807, Napoleon's attack on Portugal forced the royal family to flee to Brazil.
In 1822, the crollos demanded Brazil's independence from Portugal and asked Don Pedro to rule.
Don Pedro officially declared Brazil independent.
Brazil's approch to independence was less revolutionary than their Latin American counterparts.
Mexico's population included a mix of European and American heritages.
-Peninsulares ran the government
-Criollos held positions of wealth and influence
-Mestizos and American Indians held the lowest positions in society
In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexican preist issued a call for rebellion against Spain.
The call, that gathering of the lower class, is known as "The Cry of Delores." Indians and mestizos marched against the creole and peninsular elites.
Him and his rebels were defeated in 1811 and Hidalgo was tried and executed.
Hidalgo believed in enlightenment ideas.
Events in Spain Mexico's peninsulares and criollos toward independence.
A coup d'etat in Spain overthrew the government. Agustin de Iturbide proclaimed Mexico's independence. He named himself emperor before being overthrown by the members of the representative assembly.
One of those people was Santa Anna.
The new government of Latin Americe had significant challenges that would greatly hinder their success.
*Widespread poverty
*Sharp culture differences
*Unequal distribution of land
*Lack of access
*Disruption of trade and commerce
