Revolutionary Latin America

Ideologies and Independence in Latin America

• Latin American colonies declared independence from Spanish rule in the early 19th century.
• Enlightenment ideals of democracy encouraged colonial independence movements in the late 19th and early 20th century.
• The Enlightenment began in 18th-century Europe as a philosophical movement that challenged traditions and aimed to reform society.
• El Libertador Simón Bolívar was a key figure in the Latin American independence movement.
• After gaining independence from Spain, Latin American leaders faced the challenge of establishing the legitimacy of their new governments.
• In Iberian political traditions, power and authority resided in the figure of the monarch, which made the break with the colonial system traumatic.
• Latin American leaders adapted models from northern Europe and the United States to set up republics across the region.
• Efforts to implement political systems in Latin America brought Enlightenment conceptions of politics based on rationality and individual rights and duties.
• Many in the upper classes of Latin American societies identified political institutions as sources of the economic progress that countries like Great Britain, the United States, and France were enjoying.
• Latin American revolutions brought about changes in power dynamics before and after the revolutionary period.
• Factual questions related to the topic include identifying instrumental leaders in the early 19th century and problems faced by people of Latin America during their independence from European powers.
• Conceptual questions include how leaders gain power and what influences them to seek independence for their citizens.
• Debatable questions include whether reforms and revolutions are necessary for political development and whether violent conflicts are the only option for leaders seeking political reform.