[folios 54-55]
SS6H2.d
[running text]
On January 1, 1804, in the town of Gonaves [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037332], Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared the island of Hispaniola independent [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382]. Dessalines, a former slave and now the islands governor-general [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9030086], renamed the island, Haiti. In Arawak, the language of the islands native people, Haiti means, Mountainous Land. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382]
Haitis independence was the outcome of thirteen years of fighting. Sadly, though, Dessaliness commander throughout much of that fighting was not present at this New Year of freedom. Franois Dominique Toussaint-Louverture had died in a French prison on April 7, 1803. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068]
[Art: insert Toussaint-Louverture—clipart #488280. See scrap]
[Caption:] Franois Dominique Toussaint-Louverture (1743–1803) led Haitian slaves to freedom.
In August 1791, thousands of slaves in the north of Saint-Domingue, as Hispaniolas French colony was called, rose up against their masters. [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382] Toussaint-Louverture was not among them, as he had been freed in 1776. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068] [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toussaint_L'Ouverture] However, he soon joined the rebel slaves, one of whom was Jean-Jacques Dessalines. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9030086] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382] With Dessalines as his lieutenant, Toussaint gathered a following and formed his own band of guerrillas. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9030086] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068] Toussaints army of former slaves took over French plantations in Saint-Domingue. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382]
They allied with forces from Santo Domingo, Hispaniolas Spanish colony, when France and Spain went to war with each other in July 1793. In September, British forces landed on the island to support the Spanish. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068] [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] The French were now fighting against three armies: the Spanish, the British, and Toussaints. They tried to get the islands overwhelming black population on their side. The French leaders said that any slave who joined them would be freed. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382] At first, Toussaint considered this a ruse. But then he learned that, on February 4, 1794, France had officially abolished slavery. In May, Toussaint and his army switched sides. They joined with the French to defeat the Spanish in 1795. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068] [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toussaint_L'Ouverture]
Toussaint eventually also drove out the British, and he began to trade with both England and the United States. In January 1801, along with Dessalines and another lieutenant, Henry Christophe, he led a large army into Santo Domingo to free the slaves there. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068] Hardly a shot was fired. [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] In May, Toussaint became governor-general for life. Then, in February 1802, a large French force landed at Saint-Domingues capital, Cap-Franais. The French could not afford to lose Saint-Domingues huge sugar profits to free trade. [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9030086] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9082438] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382]
Weeks of fierce fighting followed the French invasion. Cap-Franais was burned. [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] Christophe and Dessalines surrendered. Finally, in May of 1802, Toussaint also surrendered—on condition that the French keep the island free of slavery. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073068] The French agreed, and Toussaint retired to a farm near Gonaves. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037332] On June 7, though, the French arrested him, and threw him into a ship bound for France. [http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Toussaint.htm] With such proof that the French wanted to re-enslave them, Christophe and Dessalines took up arms again. Their fight to oust the French was still raging when Toussaint died. Finally, in November of 1803, they defeated the last of the French forces. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382] After Dessaliness New Years declaration of 1804, Christophe set about rebuilding Cap-Franais, which was renamed Cap-Hatien. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9020102] The Mountainous Land became the first country in Latin America to break free of imperialism. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117382]
The South American Wars of Independence
Unlike Haitis independence, which was sparked by a slave revolt, South American independence was started by members of the ruling class. Napoleon Bonaparte, though, was involved, at least indirectly, in both. In 1808, he invaded Spain, and replaced the Spanish king with his brother Joseph Bonaparte. Spains imperial grip on its American holdings began to slip.
[Art: insert Simn Bolvar—clipart #488344. See scrap.]
[Caption:] Simn Bolvar (1783–1830) liberated South America from the north.
Simn Bolvar, a wealthy Venezuelan criollo (person of Spanish descent born in the Americas), leapt at the opportunity. Bolvar had just returned to Caracas, Venezuelas capital, from several years in Paris and Rome. In Rome, hed had a vision of his lifes goal: to liberate his homeland. Bolvar joined other Venezuelans who had the same goal. Within two years, they managed, on April 19, 1810, to kick the imperial governor out of Caracas. A national congress met a year later, and, finally, on July 5, 1811, a constitution proclaimed Venezuela an independent republic. Bolvar joined the new republics army. This army was defeated by royalists (soldiers loyal to the Spanish crown) in July 1812. Bolvar fled to New Granada—what is now Colombia.
In New Granada, Bolvar organized his army. He marched back into Venezuela and fought several battles against royalist troops. On August 6, 1813, he liberated Caracas. For this, Bolvar was called El Libertador—The Liberator. The Liberators triumph was short-lived, however. Royalists again defeated him. Bolvar fled to the Caribbean. He gathered strength and followers, and sailed back to the mainland. Over the course of several years, Bolvar and his followers liberated, first New Granada, then Venezuela, and then Ecuador. Wishing to push on and liberate Peru and Upper Peru, he met up with Jos de San Martn on July 26, 1822.
[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9052933] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-32701] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9080491]
[folio 56]
[Art: insert Jos de San Martn on horseback—clipart #50368. See scrap.]
[Caption:] Jos de San Martn (1778–1850) liberated South America from the south.
San Martn, an Argentinean criollo and son of a mission soldier, had already liberated Lima, Peru, the year before, on July 28. He was now that countrys leader. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-6399] Before that, he had helped Bernardo OHiggins liberate Chile on February 12, 1817. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-905685] And before that, he had fought for Argentinas independence, which came about on July 9, 1816. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109725] Perus independence was threatened, however, by royalist soldiers in the mountains. San Martn needed reinforcements, and looked to Bolvar for help. Strangely, however, after meeting with Bolvar, San Martn quit his post on September 20, and went into exile in Europe. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-6399] A year later, Bolvar and his troops entered Lima. His troops defeated the royalists in the mountains, and then went onto liberate Upper Peru in April 1825. Out of respect for El Libertador, Upper Peru renamed itself, Bolivia. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9080491]
As elsewhere in Latin America, Napoleons actions in Spain affected the people of Mexico. Some became royalists, while others became rebels. Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest at the Catholic mission of Dolores in central Mexico, became a rebel. On September 16, 1810, he rang his churchs bells and shouted his famous Grito de Dolores, or Cry of Dolores: Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the gachupines! Gachupines was a slang term for Spaniards. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9038161]
[Art: insert Miguel Hidalgo—clipart #488188. See scrap.]
[Caption:] On September 16, 1810, El Grito de Dolores set off Mexicos war for independence.
An army of Indians and mestizos soon rallied around Hidalgo and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexicos most important Catholic symbol. On September 28, they conquered the fort at Guanajuato. On October 17, the city of Valladolid surrendered without a fight. [http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/historia/html/independ/biohidalgo.html] They continued east, and, on October 30, defeated royalists on the outskirts of Mexico City. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_War_of_Independence] [http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/historia/html/independ/biohidalgo.html] They moved on towards Guadalajara where their victories ended. The royal army commanded by General Flix Calleja destroyed them. Hidalgo retreated to the north. On May 21, 1811, Hidalgo was captured. He was tried by the Spanish Inquisition, found guilty of heresy and treason, and shot on July 30. The movement Hidalgo had started did not die with him, however. For the next decade, Mexicans fought for independence. The achieved it on September 28, 1821. [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_de_Independencia_del_Imperio_Mexicano] Nowadays, when Mexicans celebrate Independence Day, they recall, not this date, but the date some ten years before when Hidalgo shouted in Dolores. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9038161]
[subhead:] Show What You Know
On a separate sheet of paper, make a timeline of a Latin American independence movement.
[folio 57]
[subhead:] Lesson Practice
DIRECTIONS
Fill in the circle next to the best answer for each question.
1. Which BEST explains Napoleons impact on the histories of Mexico and Venezuela?
A. Napoleon liberated both countries from Spain.
B. Napoleons actions caused Spain to lose power in its colonies.
C. Napoleons actions caused Spain to gain power in its colonies.
D. Napoleon sold both countries to Spain.
In 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain and gave his brother the Spanish throne. At the time, Mexico and Venezuela were both colonies of Spain.
2. Why does Mexico celebrate Independence Day on September 16 instead of September 28?
A. Hidalgo conquered Guanajuato and Valladolid on September 16.
B. Hidalgo started the revolt in Dolores on September 16.
C. Hidalgo saw Our Lady of Guadalupe on September 16.
D. Hidalgo shouted, Down with government! on September 16.
HINT: [Where did Hidalgo ring the church bells and shout?]
3. How are the histories of the United States and Haiti similar?
A. They were both British colonies.
B. They were both strongly influenced by the French.
C. They both have a long tradition of democracy.
D. They both gained independence from an imperialist power.
4. Who led independence movements in South America?
A. Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costillo
B. Simn Bolvar and Jos de San Martn
C. Franois Dominique Toussaint-Louverture
D. Flix Calleja and Charles Leclerc