Revolutions and New Government

Unit 2: Revolutions and New Government

Essay Test

Mat Laffitte

History per 4 – Mahony

January 10, 2007

Prompt: “The American Revolution and the Latin American Wars of Independence have absolutely nothing in common.” Discuss.

In 1776 North Americans in search of freedom, liberty, and justice announced their independence from British rule. This is known as the American Revolution. Nearly thirty years later their neighboring countries in South America took after them in a series of revolts from Spanish rule. This is known as the Latin American Wars of Independence. Although they occurred in different centuries, the battles for independence were generally advocated in the same sequence – A spread of knowledge throughout the nation leading to reform. When observing three major causes for revolution - social, economic, and intellectual aspects, it can be concluded that the Latin American Wars of Independence and the American Revolution did in fact occur for many similar reasons.

The colonists of North America and Latin Americans worked towards independence due to inspiration from European ideas, a growing sense of nationalism, and a large poverty gap between the rich and poor due to economic oppression. The spread of Enlightenment ideas, through an enhanced education system and the printing press, brought up questions of equality for both situations. The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in 18th century Europe. In both cases, it was the privileged classes that wanted reform in commerce and in trade. Due to the invention of the printing press and education, the elites and privileged classes were becoming more and more acquainted to ideas of reform and equality. In North America, a combination of the French Revolution and Enlightenment thoughts brought the upper class closer to revolution. The French Revolution ended the ancien regime, the political system of France at the time, and brought the French into a new political era. In 1776, Americans began to sing “The Marseillaise”, the French national anthem, to show support of the idea of revolution. Signs of growing nationalism were seen throughout North and South America. In Latin America, educated elites’ shifted their attitudes from inferiority to Iberian-born to equality, and eventually superiority. They became fascinated and inspired by the US and French Revolution’s accomplishment of independence and equality. Nationalism became more apparent throughout the continent as a result of this change. Authors such as Juan de Cardenas, a Spaniard, wrote in Problemas y Secretas Maravillosos de las Indias that in Mexico the Creole surpasses the peninsular in wit and intelligence. A peninsular is an ancient inhabitant of Iberia. This shows the sense of pride emerging, even to those closely tied to European descent.

In both cases it is evident that the elites or upper-class led the lower class to revolution. The lower class had nothing to loose, and consequently they fought for educated upper-class leaders. In Latin America examples of these leaders are Simon Bolivar, Bernardo O’Higgins, Jose de San Martin, and Jose de Sucre, and in North America George Washington led the people to independence. Simon Bolivar was a Venezuelan leader who liberated much of South America. Bernardo O’Higgins led the revolution in Chili, which led to their independence. Jose de San Martin led the revolution in Argentina which led to their ...

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When comparing both revolutions, the natives or lower classes were constantly oppressed by the whites. An example of this in Latin America is the Haitian revolution. In the Haitian revolution the slaves wanted a better life, and therefore rose up against the farmers and overtook the island as well as government. A similar situation can be seen during the American Revolution with Pontiacs Rebellion of 1763. Pontiacs Rebellion was after the French and Indian war and treaty, when the natives were contemptuous of the British, which caused a rebellion against the British. This shows that in both cases the natives were able to rebel against whites.

The American Revolution and the Latin American Wars of Independence were under similar economic conditions, which led them to revolution. Both realized the need for independence mostly due to major economic oppression and restrictions. The circulation of Enlightenment ideas caused the people to question their economic restrictions. From these Enlightenment ideas, Adam Smith’s theory of a Laissez Faire economy inspired the people of both Latin America and North America to advocate the movement towards independence. Adam Smith was a Scottish political economist and philosopher who laid the foundations of what is known as a Laissez Faire economy - a classical free-market economic theory.

In Brazil, the physiocrat doctrine gained support and caused Brazilian intellectuals to advocate greater freedom of trade, and abolish taxes and duties. The physiocrat doctrine was the ideas that wealth derived from nature, and grew under minimal government control. Furthermore, in Venezuela the Guipuzcoa Company caused merchants to protest in fear of threatened profits and failed supply needs. The Guipuzcoa Company of 1728 was created to ensure that Venezuela traded within the imperial markets. In addition to this, the oppressed economic conditions led to three major uprisings in Latin American countries - the Tupac Amaru Revolt, the Comunero Revolt, and the Bahian Conspiracy. The Tupac Amaru Revolt was a revolt led by Tupac Amaru in Peru to protest abuses of the Spanish excessive taxation, economic exploitation, and foced labor. The Comunero Revolt was a revolt in Columbia where the Creoles, people of European descent born in the West Indies or Spanish America, and Mestizos, people of mixed ancestry, in this case of European and Native ancestry, in New Granda (now Columbia) protested the increase in taxes and monopolies. The Bahian Conspiracy was a conspiracy in Bahia, Brazil against the Portuguese where the people demanded free trade and equality, and denounced taxation and restrictions.

As stated by historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, “Merchants, hit in the pocketbook by the tightening of England’s imperial policy, encouraged the radicals to whip up mobs of angry patriots.” This means that England’s oppressive, mercantilist economic conditions post benign neglect caused the people of North America to advocate the need for revolution. Benign neglect was the period when Great Britain ignored the intended mercantilist policies of the North American colonies, allowing them to practice freedom of trade. An example of this was the Townsend Acts of 1767. The Townsend Acts were regulations of a light import duty on glass, white lead, paint, and tea on the colonists passed by Parliament. In addition to this, the Tea Act of 1773 further directed the colonists toward a laissez faire economy. The Tea Act of 1773 was where the British were given a tea monopoly in American colonies, and sold tea below colonial prices. The colonists saw this as an example of taxation without representation, which led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Boston Tea Party was when colonists dressed as Indians threw chests of tea from three British ships into the Harbor as opposition to the Tea Act.

It can be concluded from this that the economic causes for both the Latin American Wars of Independence and the American Revolution were derived from ideas of the Enlightenment inspiring opposition to the economic oppression of European powers. Both revolutions shared a common economic goal of freeing themselves from oppression in order to work towards a laissez-fair based economy and the benefit of their own nation.