Background
- The Latin American wars of independence emerged in the early nineteenth century as colonial subjects challenged Spanish and Portuguese rule.
- Influenced by the Enlightenment, the American (1776) and French (1789) Revolutions, and the Napoleonic invasion of Spain (1808), these movements combined ideas of liberty and self-determination with local struggles over race, class, and political power.
Causes and Influences
Enlightenment and Revolutionary Ideals
- Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau inspired calls for natural rights, liberty, and government by consent.
- The success of earlier revolutions showed that colonial powers could be overthrown.
- The Napoleonic occupation of Spain created a power vacuum, weakening royal authority in the Americas and encouraging Creole elites to act.
Economic and Social Grievances
- Mercantilist restrictions forced colonies to trade only with Spain or Portugal, angering Creole merchants who sought free trade.
- Social divisions ran deep: Creoles (American-born Europeans) resented their exclusion from top posts, while Indigenous, mestizo, and enslaved populations faced systemic inequality.
- These tensions shaped each region’s revolution differently.
Definition
Creoles
American-born descendants of Europeans who sought political and economic independence but often resisted radical social change.
Regional Paths to Independence
Mexico: Revolt from Below
- The Mexican movement began with Father Miguel Hidalgo’s “Grito de Dolores” (1810), calling for social justice and independence from Spain.
- His uprising, joined by José María Morelos (1811–1815), mobilized mestizo and Indigenous peasants demanding racial and economic reform.
- Both leaders were executed, but their ideas endured, influencing Mexico’s eventual independence in 1821 through compromise between revolutionaries and Creole elites.
South America: Revolt from Above
- In contrast, revolutions in South America were led by Creole elites seeking political autonomy rather than radical reform.
- Simón Bolívar led campaigns in the north (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador), while José de San Martín liberated the south (Argentina, Chile, Peru).
- Both men envisioned independent republics, but disagreed over how to unite them, reflecting regional rivalries.
