Revolutions in Latin America 19 th and 20 th Centuries

Revolutions in Latin Revolutions in Latin AmericaAmerica

1919thth and 20 and 20thth Centuries Centuries

Causes of Latin American Revolutions

Enlightenment Ideas writings of John Locke, Voltaire, & Jean Rousseau; Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine.

Inspiration of American and French Revolutions.

Preoccupation of Spain & Portugal in fighting the Napoleonic Wars.

Creole discontent at being left out of government jobs and trade concessions.

16c-18c: New Ideas Brewing in

Europe

Inspiration of American & French Revolutions

Declaration of Independence, 1776

Declaration of the Rights of Man & of the Citizen, 1789

Preoccupation of Spain & Portugal In Fighting Napoleonic Wars

Creole Discontent:Creole Discontent:PeninsularesPeninsulares

CreolesCreoles

MestizosMestizos MulattoMulattoss

Native IndiansNative Indians Black SlavesBlack Slaves

Latin American Revolutions

Toussaint L’OuvetureRevolution in Haiti (1804)

Simón Bolivar: The Great Liberator

Creole leader of the revolutions in Venezuela.

Spent time in Europe and the newly-independent United States.

Called the “George Washington of South America.”

José De San Martin

Creole officer who had trained in European armies

Liberated Argentina from Spanish control.

Simón Bolivar Meets José de San Martin

José de St. Martín and Bernard O ’Higgins cross the Andes

Mountains.

Bolivar coming from the North

Bolivar’s Accomplishment

Bolivar’s Failure: Failure of Bolivar’s dream for a

united South America:

By 1830s, geographic factors (Andes, the Amazon, etc.) plus cultural differences & The Egos of Generals defeated

attempts at unification.

Latin American States After the

Revolutions

Brazil Freed from Portugal The Portuguese

royal family escaped Napoleon by fleeing to Brazil.

Pedro I set up a new, independent kingdom in 1821 when his father returned to Portugal.

Pedro II assumed full power after Pedro I abdicated his throne.

Independence Brought More Poverty

The wars disrupted trade.

The wars devastated the cities and the countryside

Caudillos By 1830, nearly all Latin American

countries were ruled by Caudillos (Military Dictators)

Mostly wealthy creole aristocrats. The upper classes supported dictatorship

because it kept the lower classes out of power

The lower classes did not have experience with democracy.

Some attempted to make improvements, but most just cared about themselves and their families and friends

Problems After Independence

Feuds among leaders. Geographic barriers. The social hierarchy continued from the

past. Conservatives favored the old social order. Liberals wanted land reform. Dependence on foreign nations for capital

and for economic investments. The role of the Catholic Church as the

exclusive state religion. Better treatment of Indians and mestizos

was blocked by the elite's fears of losing tax revenue and control

Economic: One-Crop Economies Now that trade was not restricted to the mother

country, the U.S. and Great Britain became the new countries’ major trading partners.

A colonial economy continued…Latin America mainly exported cash crops and raw materials while importing manufactured goods.

As the imbalance of trade grew, Latin American countries took out large loans from the U.S., Britain, and Germany to build infrastructure.

When the countries could not pay back their loans, foreign lenders gained control of major industries in Latin America.

The Caribbean: An “American Lake”

US Involvement in Latin America

THE MONROE DOCTRINE

The American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” - James Monroe, 1823

Monroe Doctrine Western Hemisphere

is closed to further European Colonization

Attempts to colonize would be viewed unfavorably

No interference with existing colonies

U. S. would stay out of European affairs

Spanish-American War (1898)

Causes Spanish misrule Jose Marti

Cuban journalist living in exile in the United States.

Urged the U.S. to intervene on behalf of the rebels against the Spanish.

American business interests insecure

USS Maine Explosion - February 1898

Spoils of the WarUS defeats Spain and takes Spanish

controlled: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines,

Guam

Spanish-American War of 1898

Brought the United States directly Brought the United States directly into Latin American affairs into Latin American affairs

Cuba gained independence, but Cuba gained independence, but became an American economic became an American economic dependentdependent

Puerto Rico was annexed by USPuerto Rico was annexed by US

“The Colossus of the North”

US dominated affairs in the Americas.

Caribbean Sea Vital defense of the U.S. European relations with Latin America

South and Central American Countries were poor and often borrowed money from European countries then were unable to repay the loans.

Roosevelt Corollary (December) 1904

To prevent European countries from attacking these countries in the Western Hemisphere and thereby violating the Monroe doctrine, Theodore Roosevelt announced that “chronic wrongdoing” by any Latin American nation entitled the United States to intervene in its affairs.

This changed the Monroe doctrine by allowing one Western Hemisphere nation the intervene in the affairs of another.

“Big Stick” Foreign Policy

Panama Canal When Colombia was reluctant to meet

American proposals for building the Panama Canal, the United States backed a revolution in Panama (1903) and gained exclusive rights over the canal.

Since this canal provided a short cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, it benefited American trade and thereby also furthered economic imperialism.

The Panama Canal