Why did Latin American countries seek independence in the 19 th century?

1. Why did Latin American countries seek independence in the 19th century? • Revolutions occurred in other parts of the world and a rebellion in Haiti was very influential • Increasing tension between those born in the New World (creoles) and those born in Spain or Portugal (peninsulares) • The Napoleonic Wars removed the kings of Spain and Portugal

2. Latin America Before Independence

3. The Enlightenment and Three Revolutions that Shook the World • The Enlightenment • Challenges to absolute monarchy-questioned the rights of rulers as well as the ruled • Beliefs in the equality of men • The North American Revolution (1776) • First in hemisphere • Did not challenge racial inequality • U.S. revolutionaries supported and encouraged Latin American revolutionaries • US books and pamphlets about revolution (“Common Sense” by Thomas Paine) available in Latin American cities

4. The French Revolution • The French Revolution (1789) • Declaration of the Rights of Man-Liberty, Equality, Fraternity • Killed their monarchs, established constitutional monarchy • Set out to restructure their society to eliminate corporate privilege- restricted rights of the Church • Rise of Napoleon (1790s) • Impact on French Revolution-made it more conservative • Impact on Spain and Portugal—Invaded Spain and forced the king of Portugal to flee to Brazil in 1808 • Impact on Latin America—caused regional groups to think about their relationship to Spain and Portugal and brought the monarchy to Rio de Janeiro

5. The Haitian Revolution 1791 • Haiti critical to France as a source of sugar—annexed in 1697 • Population mostly non-white with large number of slaves • Population divided by French Rev.-Rich whites opposed it, poorer whites and non-whites, esp. small planter class, favored it • August, 1791 revolt began and pitted whites against mulattos, all of whom wanted to keep the black slaves under control • French initially supported the black slaves and declared their freedom in 1793 to keep them from uniting with the Spanish, British involved against slaves • Slave leaders, Toussaint l'Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines led revolution which turned into race war against better off mulattos, 10,000 killed • Napoleon turned against new Haitian government-wanted absolute control of colonies-disapproved of Dessalines • 1802 Napoleon Declared war on Haiti and sent his brother-in-law L'Ouverture captured and died in France, but Dessalines won over the French and declared indep. of Haiti in 1804 • Dessalinles’authoritarian ways led to his assassination in 1806 and the beginning of uncertain political rule in Haiti

6. Toussaint L’Overture and Jean-Jaques Dessalines

7. Latin America at Independence

8. Dates of Latin American Independence