Spanish American Wars of Independence,

1760-1830

Michael Rodriguez

Key Objectives

1) Trace historical patterns

2) Identify key events

3) Understand race, gender, & nation

4) Think like a historian

5) What is an American?

Who was Simón Bolívar?

Vow at Monte Sacro

Discussion to be followed by in-class writing

The Question

Who was Simón Bolívar?

The Sources

“The Many Views of Simón Bolívar” by Erin O’Connor

The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel García Márquez

“Bolívar’s Justice” by Ricardo Palma

Bolívar’s Many Faces

Peninsulares (Spanish-born)

Criollos (American-born)

Castas (racially mixed)

Colonial Hierarchies

Indios (indigenous peoples)

Esclavos (Afro-Latinos)

Heterogeneity & fluidity

Colonial Hierarchies

Conflict, competition, and

cooperation

Self-sufficiency and relative autonomy

Carlos III (1759-88)

Royal centralization and higher taxation

Clergy curtailed

Prevailing attitude: “Viva el rey, muera el mal gobierno.”

The Bourbon Reforms

What is Enlightenment?

Classical Liberalism

Republicanism

Revolutionary Liberalism

American Revolution

French Revolution

Influences

Roots of these popular uprisings

Tupac Amaru II (Peru, 1780-83)

Colonial Rebellions

The Comuneros (Colombia, 1781)

“Tiradentes” (Brazil, 1792)

The Napoleonic Wars

Ferdinand VII replaced by Joseph Bonaparte

The rise of anti-French juntas as “caretaker” governments, 1808-13

Liberals vs Absolutists

Why “patriotism”?

Patriotic Juntas

Identity Two documents by Bolívar

—read in class and discuss.

Arguments and implications!

What is an American?

“Patria y libertad”

Rhetoric of equality across race and class

Celebration of the indigenous past

“American” identity defined by birth

NOT nationalism!

Patriotism and Nativism

General Bolívar

Initial defeats

Haitian support

War to the death

Los llaneros

Independence

War in New Granada

South Americ

a

Central America

Spain

War in the Southern Cone

Argentina

José de San Martín

Chile falls to San Martín by 1818

San Martín invades Peru

War in the Southern Cone

José de San Martín and Bernardo O’Higgins crossing the Andes

War in the And Guayaquil declares

Ecuadorian independence (1821). Bolívar leads an army to support rebels.

Bolívar persuades San Martín to step aside.

Quito falls in 1822—Ecuador fully liberated.

Royalists routed at Battle of Ayacucho (1824)

Peru gains independence

War in the Andes

British Legions 7000 volunteers from

Britain and Ireland

For gold, glory, high adventure, and liberty

Bolívar: “Those soldier liberators are the men who deserve these laurels” of victory

Many granted lands and citizenship

British Legions

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla: the radical priest

Vicente Guerrero: the pragmatic liberal

Agustín de Iturbide: the scheming ex-royalist

Independence in 1821, after 11 years of war

Aftermath

War in Mexico

Cuba would remain Spanish until 1898

Central America gained independence peacefully as part of Mexico (1821)

Left Mexico to form Federal Republic of Central America (1823)

Union consensually dissolved by 1841

Exceptions

Independence gained (1823) with surprisingly little bloodshed

Portuguese king exiled to Brazil by Napoleon

Prince Pedro of Portugal = new Emperor of Brazil

Political unity maintained

Blacks and Indians don’t gain any civil rights

Big Exception: Brazil

Rhetoric versus reality

Gender, honor, patriarchy

Case study: Manuela Sáenz

Battle cry: “Are the women of Cochabamba present?”

Discussion: Ricardo Palma’s short story “Bolívar’s Justice” (1833)

Gender

RepercussionsRevolutions Unfinished

Exam Review

Questions? Comments?