World Cultures 11

Unit III: Latin America

Name: ______________________________
Date:

LATIN AMERICAN PEOPLES WIN INDEPENDENCE

Directions: After reading the document below, please answer the following questions completely and
thoroughly in complete sentence format.
Background Question:
1. What three factors motivated the people of Latin America to rebel against their European
controllers?
Revolutions elsewhere in the world, the age of enlightenment, as well as a resentment of European
control.

Haitian Independence
1. Who controlled the colony of Haiti and what two leaders where responsible for their
independence?
The leader that began the independence movement in Haiti was a man named Toussaint . Jean-Jacques
Dessalines took up the fight after Toussaint was captured and jailed. Haiti was previously under control
of France.
2. Why were they able to win their independence so quickly and easily?
The slaves that lead the revolt had outnumbered their masters and overthrew them.

3. How was this movement for independence different from revolutions in the rest of Latin
America? [You will have to answer this question after reading the entire document.]
The Nations revolution was lead by the slaves rather than the ones with roots in the english nations.

Viceroyalty of Peru
1. Identify and explain the specific events on the European continent affected the movement for
independence in Peru.
The people of peru believed that the power would move to the people if the king is removed from
power.
2. The movement from independence was spearheaded by what two creoles. Who were they and
explain how they were able to gain it.
simon bolivar and Jos de San Martn. Bolivar had simply continued to return after losing battles. he
did not give up until he had made his nation independant.

3. What name did they give to the independent viceroyalty?

Gran Colombia

Viceroyalty of New Spain

1. How did the movement for independence differ from that of Peru?
The rebellion was led by the lower people in society.

2. The movement began with the leadership of what two leaders? Explain their rebellion and its
successes/failures.
hidalgo was the first, and he was able to rally over 80000 people for a rebellion. He was soon defeated.
Morelos was the second and he had fought for 4 years before losing.

3. Ironically, a creole DID eventually was successful in gaining freedom from Spain. Who was he,
and whey did favor independence in 1820 when he did not earlier?
Iturbide was the one who gained mexico freedom from spain. The creoles feared loss of power, and so
Iturbide declared independence.

4. What government/title did this liberator give the newly independent viceroyalty?
What happened to his government?
He had declared himself emperor, but was killed 2 years later.

Brazil
1. Why was this colony governed differently than the Spanish colonies just prior to indepence?
The royal family of Portugal had fled from Napoleon to Brazil and had continued to operate as normal in
Brazil.

2. How did the movement for independence differ in this Portuguese colony than those of the
Spanish colonies?
The independence from Portugal was without fighting or any form of bloodshed.