US History
Fort Burrows
11.4 – New Nations in the Americas
READ pgs 348 – 351
Main Idea:
The United States issued the Monroe Doctrine to discourage Europe from
meddling in the affairs of the newly independent nations of Latin America.
Vocabulary:
creole – person born in Spain’s American colonies to Spanish parents
Republic of Great Colombia – independent state composed of the present-day
nations of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama;
established in 1819 after the territory declared independence from Spain
United Provinces of Central America – federation of the present-day nations of
Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica;
established in 1823 after these states declared independence from Spain
Negro Fort – settlement of escaped African American slaves in the
Spanish colony of Florida
Adams- Onis Treaty – 1821 treaty between Spain and the US in which Spain
agreed to give Florida to the United States in exchange for $5 Million
Monroe Doctrine - President Monroe’s foreign policy statement warning
European nations not to interfere in Latin America
intervention – direct involvement
Setting the Scene:
On a quiet Sunday in September 1810, the church bell rang in the Mexican
village of Dolores. In the square, Indians gathered around the village priest,
Miguel Hidalgo (mee GEHL ee DAHL goh).
Hidalgo issued a bold call for Indians to join the struggle to make Mexico
independent. No one knows the exact words Hidalgo used, but these are the words
that have been passed down…
“My children. . . . Will you be free ? Will you recover the lands stolen 300 hundred
years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once!”
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, “Cry of Dolores” speech, September 16, 1810
Thousands of Mexicans rallied to Father Hidalgo’s call for freedom.
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Like Mexico, other Spanish colonies were reacting to the call for freedom
from Spain. In most parts of Latin America, people in the early 1800s fought wars
for independence. As new nations emerged, President Monroe formed a bold new
foreign policy. His goal was to keep Europeans from using the fighting as an
excuse to create new colonies in the Americas.
Revolution in Latin America
 By 1810, many people in Spain’s American colonies were eager for independence
 They demanded a role in gov’t, even the wealthy creoles
 Opposition to Spain was growing among Indians who were forever in debt due
to harsh rules
 All over Latin America, people were eager to throw off the Spanish rule

Mexican Independence
 Miguel Hidalgo sounded the call for Mexican independence
 Mexicans won control of many provinces before Hidalgo was executed in 1811
 Another priest, Jose Morelos took up the fight and called for a program to
give land to peasants
 Morelos was captured and killed by the Spanish
 Creoles began to join the revolutionary movement and won control of
Mexico in 1821
 Mexico became a republic with its own constitution

The Liberator
 In South America, a series of revolutions freed colonies from Spanish rule
 Simon Bolivar became known as “The Liberator” for his role in the Latin
American wars of independence
 Bolivar took up the cause of Venezuelan independence and promised:
“I will never allow my hands to be idle, nor my soul to rest
until I have broken the shackles which chain us to Spain”
 Bolivar led the Venezuelan army to defeat the Spanish in 1819
 Bolivar became president of the independent Republic of Great Colombia
which included Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama
 Other New Nations
 Jose de San Martin led Argentina to freedom in 1816
 San Martin then helped Chile, Peru and Ecuador win independence
 In 1821, the peoples of Central America declared independence from Spain
 Two years later, they formed the United Provinces of Central America which
included Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala
 By 1825, Spain lost all of its colonies except Cuba and Puerto Rico
 Brazil also won independence and became an independent nation
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¿¿ How do you think people in the US responded to the wars of independence in
Latin America ?
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The New Republics
 Spain’s former colonies modeled their constitution after the US
 They had a much different experience than the US
 Unlike the 13 colonies, the peoples of Latin America did not unite into a single
country due to geography
 The new republics had a hard time setting up stable governments
 Under Spanish rule, the colonist had gained little self-government experience
 Powerful leaders took advantage of the turmoil to seize control
 The new nations were often unable to achieve democratic rule
The United States Gains Florida




Spain lost another one of its colonies – FLORIDA – to the US!
White southerners were worried about the Indians who raided settlements
Florida was also a refuge for enslaved African Americans
“Black Seminoles”
 Spanish officials had protected slaves who fled plantations in the South
 Seminole Indians allowed African Americans to live near their villages
 These “Black Seminoles” gave Indians a share of their crops
 One settlement containing about 1,000 African Americans was known as the
Negro Fort
 Andrew Jackson demanded that Spain demolish the Negro Fort
 The Spanish governor refused so the US invaded Florida and destroyed fort
 Spain Gives Up Florida
 In 1818, Jackson headed to Florida with 3,000 soldiers
 Spain protested but was busy fighting wars in Latin America
 John Quincy Adams worked out a treaty with Spain
 In 1821, the Adams-Onis Treaty gave Florida to the US for $5 Million
¿¿ How do Florida become part of the United States ?
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The Monroe Doctrine
 Americans cheered as Latin American nations won independence
 The actions of European powers worried John Quincy Adams and President
Monroe
 In 1815, France, Russia, Prussia and Austria formed an alliance to crush any
revolution that sprang up in Europe
 They were ready to help Spain regain it s colonies in Latin America
 The British worried about other nations meddling in the Western Hemisphere
 They feared their profitable trade would be hurt in Spain regained control
 Britain suggested that the US and Britain issue a joint statement guaranteeing
the freedom of the new nations in Latin America
 Monroe decided to act independently of Britain
 In 1823, he made a bold foreign policy statement known as the Monroe Doctrine
 Monroe declared that the US would not interfere in the affairs of European
nations or existing colonies of the European nations
 He warned European nations NOT to attempt to regain control of the newly
independent nations of Latin America
 Monroe Doctrine stated the US would oppose any attempt to build new colonies
in the Americas
 US was determined to keep European powers out of the Western Hemisphere
 The US did not have the military power to enforce the Monroe Doctrine
 Britain supported the statement and could stop Europeans from building new
colonies in the Americas with its strong navy
 US successfully challenged European intervention in Latin America many times
 In the 1900s, Presidents used Monroe Doctrine to justify sending troops to
Caribbean nations
 Monroe’s bold statement helped shape US foreign policy for more than 100 yrs
¿¿ What was the purpose of the Monroe Doctrine ?
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1. Which of the following actions would President Monroe have viewed as a
violation of the Monroe Doctrine ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Spain invades Portugal
Spain retakes Mexico
Spain refuses to sell Florida
Simon Bolivar declares himself King of Venezuela
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2. Why did Great Britain support the Monroe Doctrine ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Britain strongly supported the new Latin American republics
Britain and the United States were enemies
Britain did not want other European nations to control Latin America
Britain planned to colonize Latin America in the future
3. What is the main point in the Monroe Doctrine ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
it recognizes nations in Latin America
it warns Europe against further colonization in the Americas
it permits Russia to settle in the Northwest
it warns Spain against invading Portugal
4. How does the Monroe Doctrine continue the foreign policy suggested by
George Washington ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
both advise European alliances
both suggest trade with Spain
both advise no alliances
both suggest alliances with Britain
5. How did the Latin American nations win independence and become republics ?
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6. How did the US gain Florida from Spain ?
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