Independence and the Spread
of Democracy
Independence in Mexico
 One type of revolution is a political movement in
which the people overthrow a government and set up
another. For example, the 13 colonies freed
themselves from British rule. These actions inspired
the people of Haiti and people across Latin America.
 A criollo had Spanish parents, but had been born in
Latin America. Criollos often were the wealthiest
and best-educated people in the Spanish colonies but
few criollos had political power because only people
born in Spain could hold government office.
The Cry of Dolores
 Mexico began its struggle for self-government in
1810. Miguel Hidalgo led the way. He was a criollo
priest in the town of Dolores. He planned to begin a
revolution. A huge crowd arrived and he said
“Recover from the hated Spainards the land stolen
from your forefathers.” Hidalgo’s call for revolution
became known as the “Cry of Dolores.” It attracted
some 80,000 fighters in a matter of weeks, mostly
mestizos and Native Americans. Hidalgo tried to flee
the country but was captured. He was tried,
convicted of treason, and executed in July 1811.
Independence Finally Comes
 Small rebel groups kept fighting. Then Agustin de Iturbide joined the
rebels. He was a high ranking officer in the Spanish army. Many
people who had opposed the rebellion felt they could trust Iturbide to
protect their interests. They decided to support the rebellion and in
1821, Iturbide defeated the Spanish and declared Mexico independent.
South American Independence
 Simon Bolivar almost certainly was the greatest Latin
American revolutionary leader. Bolivar joined the fight
for Venezuelan independence in 1804. Six years later he
became leader. Bolivar’s troops had freed a large area
from Spanish rule (the future countries of Colombia,
Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama.)
 Jose de San Martin, an Argentine, had lived in Spain and
served in the Spanish army. In 1817, he led his soldiers
through the high passes in the Andes into Chile. San
Martin declared Chile’s independence, then he turned his
attention to Peru. With Bolivars help they declared Peru
independence. By 1825 only Cuba and Puerto Rico were
still ruled by Spain.
Brazil takes a different route to Freedom
 In the early 1800s French armies invaded Spain and Portugal. Portugal’s royal
family fled to Brazil for safety. The king returned to Portugal in 1821, and left
his son, Dom Pedro, to rule the colony. Dom Pedro declared Brazil
independent in 1822. Three years later, Portugal quietly admitted that Brazil
was independent.
Challenges of Independence
 After winning independence from Europe, Latin
American leaders faced hard challenges and had to
decide how to govern their nations. Bolivar set the
standard for Latin American leaders, most of whom
were caudillos. Unlike Bolivar most caudillos just
wanted to stay in power and get rich.
Economic Issues
 In the 1900s, many foreign companies invested in Latin
America. As a result, foreign companies became
powerful in Latin American economies. To improve their
economies, Latin American countries built their own
factories to make goods and began to grow different
kinds of crops to develop their resources. By th 1970s
Latin American economies improved.
 Today, Latin American countries continue to expand
their economies. Foreign companies still invest in Latin
America, but most Latin American countries limit how
investments can be made. Latin American countries are
also cooperating with one another and trading for a
variety of different products.