How did Latin American countries gain independence
|
Below you will find a list of all the countries in Latin America with the dates by which they were declared independent. It’s often the case that these Independence Days are national holidays. Show
By the 18th century, Spain and Portugal had colonised most of the New World. Harsh regimes were in place, plunder of wealth the name of the game and a Spanish elite safely installed to keep it all ticking over. However, the independence of the United States from England in 1783, followed by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquest of Spain woke the autonomist aspirations of the Criollos - descendants of Spanish settlers born in the Americas. In a remarkable movement which began in 1810, Spanish viceroyalties gained independence one after the other, in less than two decades. Leading the charge was Simón Bolívar who tried, not without brutality, to unite them all under the North American model... 'Criollos' against the metropolisCriollos started to rebel and protest for the first time in 1806 when creole officer Francisco de Miranda, tried to land on Venezuela's coast. He was repelled and forced to return to Europe but the seed had been sown. Two years later Napoleon's overthrow of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain and the installation of his brother as king of Spain made criollos across Latin America question their allegiance to the homeland. What happened next was a remarkable wave of insurrection against which the colonial administration and royal army had no effective resistance. 1810: Caracas rises upIn April, the Caracas municipality effects a mutiny, removing power from the official representative of Madrid. 1810: Buenos Aires abuzzIn May, Criollo elites launch the 'Revolución de Mayo', hunting down the Viceroy of Spain. Demands are not yet for independence. 1810: Bogotá_ _takes overIn July, a Republican junta takes power in Santa Fé de Bogotá, the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. 1810: Mexicans try their luckIn September, the priest of the village of Dolores gathers his flock and invites them to rebel against the representatives of Madrid. He concluded his speech with the famous cry of '¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! ¡Viva Fernando VII! ¡Abajo el mal gobierno!' (Long live the Virgin of Guadeloupe, long live Ferdinand VII, down with bad government!). But his rebellion is short lived and he is arrested and executed by the authorities the following year. 1810: Santiago de Chile follows the exampleIn September, a Criollo group led by Irish descendant Bernardo O'Higgins takes power in Santiago de Chile. 1813: TakeoverSimón Bolivar leads Venezuela towards independence from Spain, gaining him the distinction of being called 'El Libertador' - the liberator. Towards independenceBy early 1816 Spain had recovered control of fall its except Paraguay. But the separatists haven't been vanquished. 1816: Triumph of San MartínFollowing the victories of General José de San Martín over Spanish troops, Buenos Aires formally declares itself independent as the 'United Provinces of La Plata', in July. Dreaming of being crowned emperor of the liberated territories, San Martin crosses the Andes to liberate both Chile (1818) and Peru (1821). 1818: The return of BolivarMeanwhile, Bolivar leaves exile in Haiti and resumes the struggle in Colombia and Venezuela with the help of the interfering British. Landing at Angostura (now Ciudad Bolivar), he forms a Constituent Congress and seizes the Orinoco region. But, noting that Venezuela was not ripe for insurrection, he decides to try his luck in the neighboring New Granada (modern day Colombia), and liberates Bogotá in August 1819. 1822: Bolívar ousts San MartínNamed president and military dictator, Bolivar proclaims the advent of 'Great Colombia' (Venezuela, New Granada and Quito), then, having expelled the Spaniards, he convinces San Martín to yield Peru to him. 1822: Mexico and Brazil become empiresFurther north, in September 1821 New Spain (Mexico) declares its independence. The following year Agustin de Iturbide crowns himself Emperor of Mexico, though it is a short reign. In 1822, the captaincy of Guatemala secedes from Mexico and declares its independence in turn as the United Provinces of Central America. At the same time Brazil - the huge Portuguese colony which occupies half South America - emancipates smoothly. John VI, founder and emperor of Brazil, proclaims independence without a single shot being fired. 1826: The end of Bolivar's dreamIn the Andean region, Peru is the last to be freed by General Sucre in December 1824. The area of Peru with greatest silver deposits in turn proclaims its independence, taking the name of Bolivia ... in honor of the 'Libertador'. Its administrative capital is named after the heroic lieutenant ... Sucre. At this point, South America is effectively unified under Bolivar's rule. Unified until Colombia goes to war against Peru and Venezuela separates to end 'Great Colombia' at which point, the great Pan-American dream dies. Because of a lack of a strong and unifying centre, Central America follows the same path in 1839, when the United Provinces of Central America breaks out to become several countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. What if..?Independence movements were inevitable in Latin America in the light of events in Europe and North America. But what would Latin America be if Bolivar's dream had been realised' What if the criollos had had the same rights as the Spaniards, like in the British Empire? Would direct Spanish rule have continued for longer?... Get in touch Subscribe to The Pothole The Pothole is Pura Aventura's popular monthly email. We share what we love, what interests us and what we find challenging. And we don't Photoshop out the bits everyone else does. We like to think our considered opinions provide food for thought, and will sometimes put a smile on your face. They've even been known to make people cry. You can click here to subscribe and, naturally, unsubscribe at any time. The Pothole is Pura Aventura's popular monthly email. We share what we love, what interests us and what we find challenging. And we don't Photoshop out the bits everyone else does. We like to think our considered opinions provide food for thought, and will sometimes put a smile on your face. They've even been known to make people cry. You can click here to subscribe and, naturally, unsubscribe at any time. Related articlesWhat led to Latin American independence?The immediate trigger of the conflict was Napoleon's invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) in 1807 and 1808, but its roots also lay in the growing discontent of creole elites (people of Spanish ancestry who had been born in Latin America) with the restrictions imposed by Spanish imperial rule.
What were the 3 main causes of the Latin American revolution?Answer: The causes of the Latin American revolutions included the inspiration from the French and American revolution, Napoleon's conquest of Spain triggered revolts, injustices and repression (committed by royal officials) Political and military jobs controlled by Peninsulares, Peninsulares and Creoles controlled ...
|
