Latin American Revolutions

Causes and Effects of Latin American Revolutions

• Enlightenment ideas of natural laws and rights challenged the theory of “Divine Right” monarchy.
• Creole discontent arose from being left out of government jobs and trade concessions.
• Inspiration from successful American and French Revolutions fueled the desire for independence.
• Spain and Portugal's preoccupation with fighting Napoleonic Wars provided a model and diversion.
• Mercantilism enriched the mother country at the expense of the colony.
• The power of the Catholic Church and unequal distribution of wealth and power also contributed to the revolution.
• Simon Bolivar, a wealthy creole leader, united Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru into Gran Colombia.
• Jose de San Martin, a creole in Argentina, organized rebels against Spanish rule and fought with Bolivar and Bernardo O’Higgins.
• Bolivar's goal of uniting all of South America unfulfilled after his death, and many newly independent countries struggled with civil wars.
• Wars disrupted trade and devastated cities and countryside, leaving many countries in the control of caudillos.
• Geographic barriers, feuds among leaders, and the continuation of the social hierarchy and dependence on foreign investments were additional problems.
• The revolutions brought independence, but also poverty and political instability, leaving the question of whether Latin America is better off now than under Spain.