Latin American
Peoples Win
Independence
Chapter 8
Section 1
Main Idea
Spurred by discontent
and Enlightenment
ideas, peoples in
Latin America fought
colonial rule.
 Sixteen of today’s
Latin American
nations gained their
independence at
this time.

Present Day Latin America
Introduction

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Ideas changed about who
should control the
government due to the
American Revolution,
French Revolution and the
Enlightenment.
Ideas of liberty, equality
and democratic rule made
their way to the European
colonies.
Latin American colonies
resented European
colonial powers.
Colonists decided to gain
control of their land.
Colonial Society Divided
Class dictated peoples place
in society and their jobs.
 How does this compare to
our society today?
 Latin American colonies were
divided into five main
groups:

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Peninsulares
Creoles
Mestizos
Mulattos
Indians
Peninsulares
Born in Spain
 Small percentage of
population
 Only group that could
hold a high
governmental office

Creoles
Spaniards born in
Latin America
 Ranked below
peninsulares
 Could not hold a
high political office
 Could rise as officers
in the army

Mestizos
Ranked below
peninsulares and creoles
 Mixed European and
Indian ancestry

Mulattos

Mixed European and
African ancestry
Indians

Bottom of social ladder
Revolutions in the Americas
News of the
American and French
Revolution had
spread to the
colonies.
 The success of the
American Revolution
encouraged them to
try to gain freedom
from the European
masters.

Revolution in Haiti

Saint Domingue – First
European colony to free itself
from European rule.
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
N/K/A – Haiti
French colony
500,000 African slaves worked
on French plantations


Greatly outnumbered their masters
Brutal methods were used to keep
the slaves powerless.
During the French Revolution

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The oppressed people of
Haiti rose up against their
French masters.
August 1791 – 100,000
enslaved Africans rose in
revolt.
Leader – Toussaint
L’Ouverture
 Took control of the entire
island and freed all the
enslaved Africans
January 1792 – 30,000 French
came to Saint Domingue to
remove Toussaint from power.
Haitian Revolution
Toussaint L’Ouverture
Toussaint agreed to
stop the revolution
IF the French would
end slavery.
 The French agreed.
 However, the French
sent him away to die
in prison.

Haiti’s Independence
Toussaint’s lieutenant –
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
 Continued to fight for
freedom.
 January 1, 1804 –
Dessalines declared Haiti
an independent country.
 First black colony to free
itself from European rule.

Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are Peninsulares?
What are Creoles?
How many classes of people were there
in Latin American colonial society?
Who emerged as the leader of enslaved
Africans in the Saint Domingue revolt?
What does the word Haiti mean?
Creoles Lead Independence
Creoles were the
least oppressed of
those born in Latin
America.
 Well-educated
 Traveled to Europe
to be educated.


Brought back ideas
of the revolution
with them.
Napoleon and Spain

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Napoleon removed Spain’s
king and made his brother
king.
Creoles considered the new
king as French and did not
support his rule.
Creoles justified their actions
with Locke’s idea of consent
of the governed.
 Since king was removed,
power shifted to the
people.
Rebellion broke out.
Simon Bolivar
Creole general, from
Venezuela
 Venezuela declared its
independence from
Spain in 1811.
 Spain wouldn’t accept the
declaration.
 Bolivar led an victorious
army and by 1821,
Venezuela was
independent.

Jose de San Martin
Creole general, from
Argentina
 Declared Argentina’s
independence in 1816.
 San Martin freed Chile.
 Devised a plan with
Bolivar to free Peru.

Bolivar leads San Martin’s Army
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Pursuant to their agreement,
San Martin left his army for
Bolivar to lead.
Defeated the Spanish in
1824.
This was the last battle in
the war for independence.
The Spanish colonies won
their freedom.
The future countries of
Venezuela, Colombia,
Panama and Ecuador
became known as the Gran
Colombia.
Mexico Ends Spanish Rule
In most Latin America
countries, creoles led
the revolutionary
movements.
 In Mexico, however,
ethnic and racial groups
mixed more freely.
 Indians and mestizos
played the leading role
in revolutionary
movements.

A Cry for Freedom
1810 – Padre Miguel
Hidalgo took the first step
toward independence.
 Hidalgo firmly believed in
Enlightenment ideas.
 Rang his church bells to
gather a crowd on
September 16, 1810.
 When the peasants
gathered, he called for a
rebellion against the
Spanish.

March toward Mexico City
The next day, 80,000
Indian and mestizo
followers marched
toward Mexico City.
 This uprising of the
lower classes alarmed
the Spanish army and
creoles.

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
Feared loss of land,
control and their lives.
Army defeated
Hidalgo in 1811.
Mexico’s Independence
1820 – Spain put a
liberal group in power
in Mexico.
 Creoles feared loss of
their privileges.
 They united in support
of Mexico’s
independence.
 Mexico proclaimed
independence in
1821.

Central America
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Central America had been
governed by Spain.
1821 – several Central
American states declared
their independence from
Spain.
The emperor of Mexico
refused to recognize the
declaration.
1823 – emperor was
overthrown.
Became known as Provinces
of Central America:
Nicaragua, Guatemala,
Honduras, El Salvador and
Costa Rica.
Brazil’s Royal Liberator
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Brazil’s request for
independence was unusual.
 It did not involve
violence.
1807 – Napoleon’s armies
invaded both Spain and
Portugal to close the ports
to British shipping.
The royal family boarded
ships to Brazil to escape
capture.
Made Rio de Janeiro the
capital of Brazil.
Brazil’s Independence
Portugal was governed
from Brazil for 14 years.
 After Napoleon’s defeat in
1815, the royal family
returned to Portugal six
years later.
 The king’s son, Dom Pedro,
stayed behind in Brazil.
 It was the king’s intent to
return Brazil to a colony
status.

Bloodless Revolution
1822- 8,000 Brazilians
signed a petition
asking for its
independence.
 They asked Dom Pedro
to rule.
 The King agreed to
Brazil’s independence.

Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Name the group that led to the
nationalist movement in Latin America.
Why were people inspired to follow Padre
Miguel Hidalgo in his rebellion?
What is the rebellion on September 16,
1810 known as?
Describe the difference in the liberations
of Brazil and Mexico.