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2
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- Four major world areas escaped the imperialist scramble: Russia, the
Middle East, East Asia, and Latin America.
- Most Latin American nations gained independence from colonial control
early in the 19th century.
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- The political culture of Latin America’s leaders had been shaped by the
Enlightenment, but they faced problems growing from their own history.
- Their colonial heritage did not include participatory government;
- highly centralized states had created both patterns of dependence and
resentment.
- Class and regional interests divided nations; wealth was unevenly
distributed.
- The rise of European industrial capitalism placed Latin America nations
in a dependent economic position.
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4
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- By the late 18th century Creole elites were questioning the necessity of
remaining colonial subjects.
- The majority of the population resented government policies.
- Early attempts at revolution failed because the elites feared unleashing
the power of the lower classes.
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5
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- Four external events had a major impact on Latin American political
thought.
- The American Revolution
- The French Revolution
- The Slave Rebellion of St. Domingue
- The final and precipitating factor was the confused political situation
in Spain and Portugal caused by French invasion and occupation.
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- The American Revolution provided a model for colonial rebellion.
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7
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- The French Revolution offered revolutionary ideology, but it was
rejected by elites as too radical politically and socially.
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8
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- The slave rebellion in the French island of St. Domingue led by
Toussaint L'Overture in 1791 ended in 1804 with the independent republic
of Haiti.
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9
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- This was a term given to the movements in Latin America allegedly loyal
to the deposed Bourbon king of Spain.
- They were Creole movements for independence.
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10
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- A Creole conspiracy caused Miguel de Hidalgo, a Mexican priest, to
appeal in 1810 to Indians and mestizos for support.
- After early victories Hidalgo lost Creole support and was executed.
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- The revolution continued and conservative Creoles under Augustín
Iturbide a conservative Creole officer in the Mexican army won
independence in 1821.
- The new state, a monarchy under Iturbide based upon Creole dominance,
collapsed in 1824.
- Mexico became a republic and Central America, until then part of the
empire, divided into independent nations.
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- In northern South America an independence movement led by a Creole
officer, Simon Bolívar a Creole military officer, appeared in Caracas in
1810.
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- Between 1817 and 1822 Bolívar won victories in Venezuela, Colombia, and
Ecuador.
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- In southern South America rebellion began in Rio de la Plata under the
leadership of José de San Martín.
- Buenos Aires opted for autonomy in 1810.
- In 1816 the independence of the United Republic of Rio de la Plata was
proclaimed.
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- Paraguay separated from the United Republic of Rio de la Plata in 1813.
- José Rodríguez de Francia became the ruler of an independent Paraguay as
it’s dictator until 1840.
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- The remaining Spanish territories fell to San Martín's forces; by 1825
all of Spanish America had won political independence.
- All were republics with representative governments.
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- By the end of the 18th century Brazil was Portugal’s most important
colonial possession.
- The presence of a large slave population tempered the elite’s thoughts
of independence.
- The French invasion of Portugal in 1807 led the royal family and many
of the nobility to flee to Brazil.
- Rio de Janeiro became the real capital of the Portuguese empire.
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18
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- Brazil's ports were opened to world commerce because of pressure from
Britain, Portugal's powerful war time ally.
- King João VI remained in Brazil until 1820.
- The presence of the court made Rio de Janeiro into a great capital city.
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- When João VI returned to Portugal to deal with a liberal revolution he
left his son Pedro as regent.
- When it became clear that Brazil was to return to colonial status, Pedro
declared its independence in 1822 and became the constitutional emperor,
Pedro I.
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- Many of the leaders of Latin American independence shared political and
economic ideals expressed in the Enlightenment.
- There was less agreement about the role of the Catholic church as the
exclusive state religion.
- Some leaders had democratic beliefs.
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- Slavery was abolished in all the former Spanish colonies by 1854.
- However, better treatment of Indians and mestizos was blocked by the
elite's fears of losing tax revenue and control.
- Property and literacy qualifications limited voting as women remained
subordinate to men.
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- Early efforts for political unity quickly failed because of regional
rivalries and internal frictions.
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