Latin American independence; the fragments of empire and their modern fate
in the new age of industrialization, dictatorial imperialism, the "state," and
liberal constitutionalism
The fear and resentment created by the "New Colonialism" of the Lisbon and
Madrid governments, coupled with the designs of other European groups on the
Americas, created the context for the independence in the early nineteenth
century of most of Latin America, although it took the Napoleonic invasion of
the Iberian Peninsula to set off the series of events that finally produced
the creation of "sovereign" Latin American countries. The two Iberian
kingdoms were left with overseas empires, Portugal with a rather large one,
which both have now completely lost.
Reading: Bakewell, chs. 14 & 15, and pp. 443-445.
- There were three great revolutions in the Atlantic world at the end of the
eighteenth century: that of British North America, out of which the United
States developed; the French Revolution; and the Haitian Revolution of
1791-1804. Why is it that only the former two still receive frequent
international recognition, while the latter, despite the fact that it is the
only one that ended slavery, is generally unknown outside of Haiti?
- What impact did the wars of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic
periods have on Portugal and Spain?
- Why was the course of independence in northern and southern Spanish South
America different from that in Peru and Mexico?
- Why did king Ferdinand VII of Spain have so little success in restoring
his government's authority in Argentina and Venezuela? Why was he ultimately
unable to salvage his authority in any of his continental American
territories?
- There are modern Mexican states named for Hidalgo, Morelos, and Guerrero.
Why is none named for Iturbide?
- Why did all the newly-independent countries of Spanish-speaking America
quickly adopt republication institutions and, except for Paraguay, written
constitutions?
- Why was it so difficult for most newly-independent Spanish American
republics to establish stable political regimes? What were the causes of
military conflicts among some of them?
- Why did Brazil become independent of Portugal while retaining monarchical
institutions and a Braganza ruling dynasty?
- Why was Spain able to retain its control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the
Philippines until 1898?
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J. B. Owens
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Revised: 28 July 1999
URL: http://www.isu.edu/~owenjack/spemp/reading.28.html