Weekly Reflection

1. Write a 200- to 250-word reflection on this week’s topic by responding to the question/comment below.
2. Your response should be in standard essay format (introduction, body, conclusion; complete sentences, paragraphs). Points will be deducted if you do not follow this format and/or the quality of the writing is poor (spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors), so be sure to proofread carefully.
3. NO Points if any of your reflection is plagiarized. Use only the required readings/lectures in your response, but don’t over-quote from them 

Reflect on this QUESTION/COMMENT:  What did the uprising (led by Hidalgo) in Mexico teach the elites in Spanish Latin America regarding independence?  How did independence in Spanish Latin America differ from that of Brazil?  How did the Monroe Doctrine determine the relationship of the US with Latin America post independence?

Part�3:�Independence

Decline�of�Empire

� Neglect�of�Caribbean�Basin�– Britain,�France�&�

the�Netherlands�formed�West�Indies�
Companies�by�17th century�and�began�
colonizing�islands�not�effectively�controlled�by�
Spain

� Bourbon�Reforms�– hands�on�period�designed�
to�gain�control�and�increase�profits�from�
colonies

� Divided�Viceroy�of�Peru�to�reorient�trade�
away�from�Lima;�took�away�some�
opportunities�for�Criollos

� Napoleon’s�invasion�of�Spain�(1807Ͳ8)�–
nationalist�sentiment�lost�on�American�colonist�
– loyalty�to�whom?

Decline�of�Empire

� Elite�Divisions
� Extremely�classͲconscious�elite�
society
� Criollo�classification�detrimental�to�
upward�mobility
� Spanish�American�Demography�in�
1810
� 8M�Indigenous;�1M�African;�4M�
European�(9:1�– Criollos:�
Peninsulares);�5M�Meztizos

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Independence�Movements:�Mexico
� Father�Miguel�Hidalgo�(1810)�– Creole�priest�

led�an�indigenous/meztizo�uprising�that�
marched�from�Guanajuato�area�to�Mexico�City�
– killed�Creoles�and�Peninsulares�on�the�way
� Uprising�failed�and�Hidalgo�and�three�other�
conspirators�were�executed

� Awoke�elites�to�dangers�of�revolution�from�
below

� Augustin�de�Inturbide�(1821)�– creole�army�
officer�gained�support�of�Royal�Army�and�
declared�Mexico�independent�(no�fighting)�–
he�made�himself�emperor
� A�military�coup�ended�his�reign�shortly�after�
and�a�federal�republic�was�established�–
included�area�to�Costa�Rica�until�1838

Independence�Movements:�Northern�
South�America
� Simon�Bolivar�– a�creole�elite�who�led�

the�independence�struggles�of�
Colombia,�Venezuela�&�Ecuador;�
helped�San�Martin�with�the�liberation�
of�Peru�and�Bolivia

� Had�a�vision�of�a�panͲAmerican�state�–
from�1822Ͳ1830�Colombia,�Venezuela,�
Ecuador�&�Panama�made�up�Gran�
Colombia

� Convened�a�continental�congress�in�
Panama�in�1826�– ultimately�the�unity�
failed�(political,�cultural�differences)�
and�La�Gran�Colombia�dissolved

Independence�Movements:�Southern�
South�America
� Independence�declared�in�1810�in�Buenos�

Aires�– Spanish�power�in�Peru�had�to�
eliminated�for�this�to�actually�happen

� Jose�de�San�Martin�
� Organized�Army�of�the�Andes�and�
defeated�the�Spanish�in�Chile�(1817Ͳ18)�
establishing�Chilean�independence

� Combined�with�Bolivar�to�defeat�Spanish�
in�Peru�at�Battle�of�Ayacucho�(1824);�
Spanish�finally�surrendered�in�1826

Brazilian�Independence
� Napoleon’s�Invasion�of�Portugal�(1807Ͳ8)�

– Royal�family�fled�and�set�up�court�in�
Brazil

� Peaceful�Independence�(1822)
� Dom�Pedro�I�became�Prince�Regent�of�
Brazil�after�King�John�VI�when�back�to�
Portugal
� He�declared�independence�in�1822�
and�was�crowned�Emperor�– no�
violent�break�with�the�colonial�past�
and�no�civil�war

� Military�coup�in�1889�– Dom�Pedro�II�
stepped�down�and�a�republic�was�
established�

Challenges�of�Independence
� Contradiction�between�revolutionary�political�
philosophy�(democratic�ideals)�and�reality�on�the�
ground�

� Tradition�of�authoritarian�rule�developed�with�the�
exceptions�of�Brazil�and�Costa�Rica

� Liberal�&�Conservative�clashes�among�Creole�elites

� Caudillismo�– rule�of�local�strong�men�because�new�
states�lacked�internal�political�stability

Challenges�of�Independence
� US�Interventionism�– a�constant�problem�

after�independence
� Monroe�Doctrine�(1823)�– claimed�the�
Latin�America�as�it’s�“sphere�of�
influence”�and�warned�other�European�
states�to�keep�out

� Manifest�Destiny�– the�notion�that�is�
was�Anglo�American�destiny�to�occupy�
the�land�from�one�coast�(Atlantic)�to�the�
other�(Pacific)

� Treaty�of�Guadalupe�Hidalgo�(1848)�–
Mexico�lost�½�its�territory�to�the�US�
after�the�

MexicanͲAmerican�War

�(1846Ͳ
48)

MexicanͲAmerican�War

Guadalupe�Hidalgo�Lands