LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS!
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OVERVIEW OF LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN
Latin American Revolutions
Creoles were a group of people born in South America of Spanish parentage. They were an elite group of people but not treated like Peninsular Spaniards, they were not allowed to hold certain government or church posts.
Spain allied with France in 1796. As Napoleon 1 gained power, Spain's thrown weakened. Resistance from the French occupation led to the establishment of a parliament. It was not strong enough to against the French presence let alone support the Spanish colonies. The Creoles took advantage of this opportunity.
In 1810 in Buenos Aires, a junta was formed. The Creoles in one region were able to win domination rapidly leading to the independent republic of Paraguay in 1811. It took longer to remove Spanish loyalists from Argentina which later gained its independence in 1816.
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
MEXICO
CENTRAL AMERICA
BRAZIL
In 1811 a Creole-dominated government claimed independence for Venezuela. It was a short reign because royalists (Spaniards and colonist still loyal to Spain's dominance over its South American colonies) regained control within a year. Then patriots (the revolutionaries) and royalists fought for territory continuously. In June 1821, patriot leader Simón Bolívar and his troops put an end to the fighting.
Brazil did not have a rough path to its independence. It was not a Spanish colony, but a Portuguese one. In 1808 when the Portuguese royal family when to Rio de Janeiro the colony surged. Prince João VI established trade with friendly nations and encouraged local industries. The Creoles were pleased with the new status they had earned thanks to the royal family. A revolution in Portugal in 1820 sparked the idea for Brazil's move for independence. The government took action making the Creoles feel like their new status was being revoked and that they were going back to their old social and economic status. Pedro became Brazil's constitutional emperor in December 1822.
Vincent Guerrero suggested independence from Spain forming a Mexican monarchy along with the religious supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church. The united forces defeated royalist holdouts and proclaimed Mexican independence on September 28, 1821.
The captaincy general of Guatemala declared its own independence and formed the United Provinces of Central America in 1823. Since they lacked a central government, industry, and a military structure their organization soon crumbled and left 5 independent nations in its place.
