latin american revolutions
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Latin American Revolutions. Libertyville HS. Conquest to Colonies. Conquistadors defeated Aztecs, Mayans & Incans; set up gov’ts New Spain = Aztec / Mayan area Viceroyalty = “assistant king” Viceroy appointed by king Had authority of king Semi-independent Audiencia - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Latin American Revolutions
Libertyville HS
Conquest to Colonies
• Conquistadors defeated Aztecs, Mayans & Incans; set up gov’ts– New Spain = Aztec /
Mayan area– Viceroyalty = “assistant
king”• Viceroy appointed by king• Had authority of king• Semi-independent
– Audiencia• Judicial courts in New World• Also had legislative powers
The Colonial Experience• Social structure based on purity of
Spanish bloodlines– Peninsulares: socially superior to all
others– Criollos (Iberians born in New Spain):
wealthiest class– Mestizos: Spanish men, American Ind.
Women; excluded from econ op.– Slaves
• Women were to be obedient to men (patriarchal society)
• Catholic Church– Church as imp. as gov’t officials– Natives identified w/ Virgin Mary– Crucifixion mirrored their suffering
The Colonial Experience
• European born were dominant & controlled native labor– Mining– Cash crops– Trade
• Colonial Administration– Directed from Spain– Responsible to Spain– BUT semi-independent
from Spain (distance, time)
The Colonial Experience• Economy
– Mining was key (silver, gold)– Agriculture: cash & food crop
• Encomiendas (labor system)– Given a certain # of natives– Responsible for teaching Spanish,
religion in exchange for food, gold• Haciendas (self sufficient land
grants)– Trade
• Spanish monopoly• Slave trade: British monopoly
(asiento – K – between Spain, Britain, to supply slaves)
European Power in Sp. America• Spanish power declined
in late 17th / early 18th C.– Spanish Hapsburgs weak– Peninsulares, Criollos
dominated Am. w/ little interference from Spain
– Bourbons took over, 1701 (remember the War of Spanish Succession?)• More efficient government• Revived Spanish control in
NW• More efficient taxation =
more wealth taken out of NW
Opposition to Spanish Control• Simon Bolivar (1783-1830)
– Success of American Revolution inspired him to seek freedom for Spanish colonies
– Called “The Liberator”• Contributed to liberation of
Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Bolivia
– Formed federation of former colonies called Gran Columbia• Served as its president from
1821-1830• Believed in strong central gov’t• Anti-slavery
Gran Columbia in blue
Haitian Revolution (against French)
• Santo Domingo (island)– 2/3 of Fr. Tropical imports– 1/3 of Fr. Total foreign
trade!• Brutal slave economy
– Poor living conditions– Harsh punishments– Constant demand for
more African slaves
The Haitian Revolution
• French Rev. in France leads to rev. in islands– Rich planters vs. free mixed
race population (“gens de coleur” – mulattoes)
• Slaves take advantage, rebel– Plantations burned, masters
killed, houses destroyed– Combined African political
culture w/ Fr. Rev. ideology
Haitian Revolution• Toussaint L’Ouverture
– Former slave, leader of rebellion
– Created an organized, disciplined military force
• 1794: Fr. NA abolished slavery
• 1801: L’Ouverture adopted liberal constitution– Asserted loyalty to France– Made Haiti indep.
• And then Napoleon took over…
Haitian Revolution• 1802: Nap. sent army to
reclaim Santo Domingo– Captured Toussaint (sent to
France, died in prison)– Then, yellow fever infected
French troops– Brutality on both sides– Native resistance strong; they
began winning the fight• Fr. forces withdrew• US (Thomas Jefferson) put
embargo on Haiti (feared free blacks)
Haitian Revolution
• Outcomes– With no base in Americas,
Napoleon sold colonies to USA
– Haiti declared indep. 1804 (first black republic)
– US continued embargo (Jefferson pro-French)
– Haiti economy a shambles for decades
– Political violence continue for decades
Jean Jacques Dessalines, firstPresident of the republic
The Disintegration of Argentina • Bolivar: “I fear peace more
than war”• Difficulties following revolution
– No middle class– No tradition of self rule– No cultural unity– Contrast with USA
• Rise of caudillo (military dictator)– Usually a military officer who
took over government– Ruled using combo of charisma,
strength, patronage
The Disintegration of Argentina• Decades of civil war tore
Argentina apart– Paraguay, Uruguay, and
Bolivia declared independence from Argentina
• Juan Manuel Rosas, caudillo of Argentina (1828-52)– Violent: assassination,
intimidation of enemies– BUT he brought economic
benefits to region– “Man of the people”
(whipping story)
Juan Manuel de Rosas, caudilloof Argentina
Mexican Independence• Republic est. 1823• Spain invaded, 1829
(defeated)• French invaded, 1838
(defeated)• Mexico invited US citizens
to settle in Texas (then, a state of Mexico) in 1820s– Soon outnumbered
Mexicans– Opposed Mexican gov’ts
abolition of slavery
Mexican Independence• 1835-36: TX rebellion vs.
Mexican liberals– Alamo– BUT Texans win war,
declare independence• 1845: TX became a state
of US – provoked war– 1848: Treaty forced Mexico
to give up Mexico Cession (CA, NM, AZ)
– In return, Mexico received $15 million
Mexican Independence• Mexican liberals took over
gov’t: Benito Juarez– Reforms (equality; no
privileges for church, military)– Sparked CW w/ conservatives
(1858-1861)• French invaded in 1862, set
up Maximilian as Emperor– Austrian Hapsburg– US threatened to get involved
after 1865– French pulled out, Max
executed in 1867
Results of Independence Movements
• Legacy of Spanish colonialism• Political liberalism limited• Much of L.A. were economic disaster
areas (corruption, primitive economies)• Latin American weakness allowed USA
rise to prominence in last ½ of 19th C.