Establishing Independence

From the time Cortez and his soldiers arrived in 1519 to the 1800’s, the countries of Spain and Portugal dominated Latin America. They had come looking for gold and glory, but found much more to keep them there. But these weren’t the only Europeans to colonize Latin America. France, Holland and even England had sent colonists to the Caribbean Islands hoping to gain wealth by setting up sugar and other plantations.

European colonization and the diseases they brought with them had nearly destroyed the natives’ way of life. Those who remained had been forced to live under the rule of the Europeans and were seldom given positions of leadership in their own countries. But this began to change during the 1800’s when men eager to see an end of European domination began demanding freedom.

European Domination

The Fight for Haitian Independence

Diseases from Europe brought over by sailors with Christopher Columbus nearly destroyed the entire native population of Haiti, then called Saint Domingue. French settlers took over the island and began growing sugar, cotton and coffee to be exported to Europe. By the early 1700’s, Saint Dominique provided nearly half of all the coffee and sugar eaten in Europe. But producing these huge amounts of exports, took lots of labor . . . slave labor. For years the French had been importing thousands of slaves from Africa to work the crops. Conditions were harsh and slaves were often brutally treated by their owners.

Toussaint-Louverture In 1791, thousands of slaves in the north of St. Dominique rebelled. They were soon joined by an educated freed slave, Toussaint-Louverture, under whose leadership they were able to overthrow the rule of the French, as well as the Spanish and British who were making a play for the island. Toussaint abolished slavery and set up a new constitutional government naming himself as “governor (dictator) for life.” He then began trying to rebuild the collapsed economy of Saint Dominique.

Because they could not afford to lose their huge profits from the sugar trade, the French were not about to give up. A large force of French soldiers arrived on the island in 1802, arrested Toussaint and sent him to France on a warship. They threw him in prison where he died of pneumonia six months later. But the revolution he had commanded back in Saint Domingue continued. The last of the French forces were defeated in 1804 and the name of Saint Domingue was changed to Haiti. Haiti became the first Latin American country to break free of European colonialism.

Game Not Over!

The Fight for South American Independence

In the early 1800’s, Spain and Portugal were still ruling most of South America and still exporting most of its wealth back to Europe. People of Spanish and Portuguese descent born in South America wanted to share that power and wealth. They wanted change that would bring them more political and economic power. By the early 1800’s, South Americans were ready to fight for these changes. They were ready to fight for their independence from Spain and Portugal.

Simon Bolivar Simon Bolivar was born to a wealthy mining family in Venezuela in 1783. Orphaned as a young child, he grew up in Spain, but his heart was still in South America. He dreamed of returning to his homeland and taking with him the ideas of freedom and independence he had seen in Europe. In 1810, he returned to Venezuela and quickly became a leader of a revolutionary group who shared his vision for a free and independent nation. Bolivar’s clever military strategies soon had the Spanish government in Venezuela on the run. By 1811, Bolivar was there to witness the new revolutionary government write a constitution proclaiming Venezuela an independent republic.

Game Not Over!

Just like the Spanish in Haiti, the Spanish in Venezuela were not ready to give up all the profits they were making in South America. Two years after declaring independence, Venezuela was again invaded by the Spanish loyalists causing Bolivar to flee the country in 1813. Having fled to Columbia, Bolivar raised an army there and attacked the Spanish back in Venezuela who counter-attacked his attack. This type of back & forth battling went on for years until 1822, when Bolivar and his followers were finally able to liberate not only Venezuela, but Panama, Ecuador and Peru as well. By this time, Bolivar had become the most powerful man in South America and was often compared to George Washington. For his efforts, Bolivar was nicknamed the “Liberator.” The present day country of Bolivia was named in his honor set aside his birthday as a national holiday each year.

The Fight for Mexican Independence

In the early 1800’s, many Mexican religious and political leaders were tired of Spanish rule and began saying that Mexicans should be free to choose their own government and argued that they should be independent from Spain. The demand for Mexican independence grew stronger across the land urged on by an unlikely hero.

Father Hidalgo

Early in the morning of September 16, 1810, the people of Delores Mexico were awakened by the ringing of church bells. Hurrying to the church, they found their priest, Father Hidalgo giving a fiery speech urging them to throw off Spanish rule. Inspired by his words, a small army of Native Americans and mestizos marched with Father Hidalgo toward Mexico City with thousands more joining along the way. Armed with only clubs and farm tools, Hidalgo’s men were no match for the government soldiers. Father Hidalgo was soon captured and executed.

No one recorded the exactwords of Father Hidalgo’s speech,

but it is known as the Grito de Dolores, or Cry of Delores.

Game Not Over! Father Hidalgo was dead, but the revolution he had sparked did not die. New leaders took his place and even a few wealthy Spanish nobles and criollos joined the fight for independence. The struggle lasted for eleven years, but in 1821, the rebels finally overthrew the Spanish government and Mexico became independent. Father Hidalgo is known as the Father of Mexican Independence. Every September 16, Mexicans shout slogans and from the Cry of Dolores in celebration of their independence from Spain and in honor of Father Hidalgo.

Latin American Heroes

Toussaint L’OuvertureHaiti

1801

Simon BolivarSouth America

1813Father Hidalgo

Mexico 1810