World Cultures 11

Unit III: Latin America

Name: Kayla Brown

Date: 5/15/15

LATIN AMERICAN PEOPLES WIN INDEPENDENCE

Directions: After reading the document below, please answer the following questions completely and
thoroughly in complete sentence format.
Background Question:
1. What three factors motivated the people of Latin America to rebel against their European
controllers? The three major factors that motivated the people of Latin America was liberty,
equality and democratic rule.
Haitian Independence
1. Who controlled the colony of Haiti and what two leaders where responsible for their
independence? The French Colony was in control over the colony of Haiti. The two leaders that
were responsible for their independence was Toussaint LOueverture and Jean-Jacques
Dessalines.
2. Why were they able to win their independence so quickly and easily?
Toussaint LOueverture was a skilled general and diplomat, he was able to take control in 1801.
He freed all the enslaved Africans and he agreed to stop the revolution if the French would end
slavery. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, he fought for freedom and later he declared the colony as an
independent country.
3. How was this movement for independence different from revolutions in the rest of Latin
America? [You will have to answer this question after reading the entire document.]
Well, in Haiti they had very skilled leaders that had the power to end slavery and the power to
declare the colony as an independent country. The rest of Latin America, had low class leaders and
didnt have as much power.
Viceroyalty of Peru
1. Identify and explain the specific events on the European continent effected the movement for
independence in Peru.
The events on the European continent that effected the movement for independence was
Bolivars army defeated the Spanish at the battle of Ayacucho in 1824. The Spanish colonies in
Latin America had won their freedom which means that the Spanish colonies have more freedom
than Peru.
2. The movement from independence was spearheaded by what two creoles. Who were they and
explain how they were able to gain it.
Simon Bolivar was a wealthy Venezuelan creole and he declared independence from Spain. Jose
De San Martin was an Argentinian who declared its independence in 1816. Jose De San Martin
ended up leading an army in 1817 because Chile and Peru were still a threat.

3. What name did they give to the independent viceroyality?

The name that was given to the independent viceroyality was Gran Colombia.

Viceroyalty of New Spain

1. How did the movement for independence differ from that of Peru?
The leaders in New Spain are strong leaders but they have little money. Also, in the New Spain
there are lower classes. In New Spain, they have an army with 80,000 men. The New Spain army
defeated Hidalgo in 1811 while they were leading the revolution.
2. The movement began with the leadership of what two leaders? Explain their rebellion and its
successes/failures. One leader was Padre Miguel Hidalgo, he was a priest in a small village and
he was able to make the first step to independence. Padre Miguel Hidalgo, started the rebellion
against the Spanish. Today this rebellion is known as, the Grito de Dolores. The second leader,
Jose Maria Morelos lead the revolution for 4 years then in 1815 he was defeated by a creole
officer.

3. Ironically, a creole DID eventually was successful in gaining freedom from Spain. Who was he,
and whey did favor independence in 1820 when he did not earlier?
The creole who did successfully gain freedom from Spain was Agustin De Iturbide. He defeated
Padre Morelos and got independence in 1821.

4. What government/title did this liberator give the newly independent viceroyalty?
What happened to his government?
The United Provinces, the colonies of El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa
Rica had developed into the region that is Central America.

Brazil
1. Why was this colony governed differently than the Spanish colonies just prior to indepence?
Prince John and his family had boarded ships to escape their capture. Prince John and his family
took their court and their royal treasury to Portugals colony which is Brazil.
2. How did the movement for independence differ in this Portuguese colony than those of the
Spanish colonies?
In 1822, the creoles demanded Brazils independence from Portugal. 80,000 citizens of Brazil
signed a petition saying they want Pedro to rule. Brazil did end up gaining their independence
without fighting.