Latin America in the Age of Revolution, Independence,

and Imperialism

An Anthology

Latin American Revolutions

LA Revolution: Causes

• Anger of laboring class at oppressors– Haiti: Slave Rebellion– Mexico: Grito de Delores (Hidalgo’s mestizo revolution)

• Creole resentment of political power of Peninsulares– South America: Bolivar and San Martin– Mexico: Iturbide

• Republican ideas inspired by American Revolution– South America: Bolivar and San Martin

• Liberal ideas inspired by Enlightenment, French Rev– South America: Bolivar and San Martin

• Tumult caused by the wake of the Napoleonic Wars– Brazil: Dom Pedro

LA Revolution: Events

• Haiti– Toussaint L’Overture– Napoleon’s Failed

Expedition

• Mexico– “Grito de Delores”– Iturbide’s Creole

Revolution

LA Revolution: Events

• Spanish South America– Bolivar and San

Martin

• Brazil– Napoleonic Wars– Dom Pedro

LA Revolution: Effects

• Haiti– 1st and only black slave Republic

• Mexico– Conservative government

• Spanish America– Importance of liberal ideals

• Brazil– Conservative monarchy

• Observation– Haiti is the lone example of major social change - All

other groups preserve the racial caste system

Latin America

Mini-SEPTIC

Social and Economic• Class Divisions

– Creole vs. Mestizo– Urban Elite vs. Gauchos

• Gender Roles– Persistence of Patriarchy– Public Education of women

• Agriculture– Persistence of the hacienda: patron and peonage

• Trade– Development of the export economy

Political

• Conservative v. Liberal– Conservative: Defender of Catholic Church,

military, landed elites, and oligarchy– Liberal: Separation of church and state, educated

urban elite, and republican government

• Centralism v. Federalism– Centralists: Tended to be liberals wanting to

promote reforms or prevent local abuses– Federalists: Tended to be conservatives who

wanted to promote stability by tolerating local control of everything except the military

Political

• Caudillos– Military dictators demonstrate the power of

armies to intervene in Latin American politics

• Economic Imperialism– British domination of Latin American trade– Spanish-American War– Panama Revolution and Canal

Technology, Intellectual, Cultural

• Transportation– Railroads and steamships: the

development of the export economy

• Literature

• Cultural Blending– Music– Football (Soccer to you American dopes)

Case Study: Mexico

Mexico

• “Grito de Delores”– Native and mestizo

revolution

• Iturbide– Creole revolution

Mexico

• Santa Anna– Rise of the Caudillo

• Mexican-American War– U.S. imperialism

Mexico

• Benito Juarez– La Reforma

• French Intervention– Cinco de Mayo

• Porfirio Diaz– “Order and Progress”

Case Study: Brazil

Brazil

• Dom Pedro– Establishment

of conservative monarchy

Brazil• Coffee Boom

– Slave labor unable to cover the demand for workers

• Foreign Immigration– Especially Italians migrate to Brazil

• Abolition– Eventually, enough internal and external pressure is put on Brazil that

ends slavery

Brazil

• Republic– Disenfranchised

groups unite to overthrow the monarchy and establish a new government

Case Study: Argentina

Argentina

• San Martin– Idealistic Creole

Revolutionary

Argentina

• Juan Manuel de Rosas– Conservative,

federalist, gaucho caudillo

Argentina

• Domingo Sarmiento– Liberal reformer,

centralist, defender of culture, promoter of foreign trade