Latin America Independence: Events, Rebellions, and Impacts

This essay delves into the sequence of events leading to Latin American independence movements, contrasting rebellions and wars across different countries, and analyzing the impact of European colonialism. It explores the challenge to colonial racial hierarchies and the rise of various government types during the neocolonial period. The essay examines how overseas empires shaped the neocolonial experience, impacting women, social change, political transformations, and economic opportunities. Additionally, it investigates the revolutionary movements' influence and the ideals they connected with, drawing on the provided textbook and key terms to offer a comprehensive historical analysis of the period.

Latin America
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author note

1
Questions:
1. Describe the sequence of events from Chapters 1-4 that led up to the independence
movements throughout Latin America? From Chapters 1-4, contrast the rebellions and wars
of independence from at least three different Latin American Countries and at least two
European countries. Discuss any similarities and differences in detail, with examples and key
terms from your book. Did some (if any) of the independence movements challenge the
colonial conception of racial hierarchy?
Answer: The cultural scenario of the country was marked by its racial differences.
Post-world war II scenario experienced a quest for modernization of the existing societal
structure and the development could have been achieved following the footsteps adopted by a
large number of countries. The cultural shock as well as the changes in the intellectual
domain experienced the changes in the thinking (Chasteen,p.3 ).
The history of Latin America is marked by conquest by the colonizers prom Spain and
Portugal however; such human conquest was looked upon by the people of Latin America as
the result of their original sins. The invaders were prompted by the privileged inhabitants
from their individual society to spread the virtues of ‘religious righteousness’ in the native
land. As a result, the idea of conquest can be marked in the incidents noted in the locations
like Argentina and Mexico. The year of 1500 experienced the arrival of the Portuguese for
the first time in the coast of Brazil. Brazil had not much to offer to the colonizers in
compared to the riches they acquired from India. However, the view of Caminha about the
cost of Brazil represented the description of the Garden of Eden as mentioned the Holy
Scriptures. However, the potentiality about Brazil was imbedded in the ability to exploit the
Brazilwood by extracting the dyes out of it. Their claim on the land was thus experienced in
their religious expansion as they sought to spread Christianity in the native land. For over
three hundred years the ideals of Christianity enforced the colonialism over the Latin
America. The revolutionaries from Latin America followed the structure of the revolutions in
France as well as in America to attain their independence. The movement towards attaining

2
independence no sooner got constructed around the rebellion against slavery as well as the
ones against colonialism (Chasteen,p.12).
The revolutions in Latin America was followed by the revolution of France and
America. The slave colony of Haiti followed the US during the revolution to attain their
independence (McPherson). The dispute over the legitimacy of Spain in political sphere
resulted in the creation of the complexities in their colonies as well. The areas of Mexico and
Peru was a stronghold of the Spanish power and a result involved time in attaining their
independence. The islands of Puerto Rico and the Cuba continued to be in their status of
Spanish Colonies until 1898. It was at the time when the rule of monarch of Portugal was
shifted to the Brazil (Chasteen,p. 115).
The movements in the Bolivia, Mexico, Ecuador and Guatemala resulted in the
countries of Latin America brining about reforms in the areas concerned with ethnic
diversity. Nation constitution was being amended in order to recognize the indigenous
people. Colonial era had experienced the reinforcement of the prejudices related to racial
inferiority superimposed by the prejudices propagated by the Protestant ideals. Collective
respect has been reinforced by the ideals of nationalism, which enhanced the understanding
of the differences based on differences in the ground of culture and race (Chasteen,p. 234).
2. Let’s look into Chapters 5-9: If more than one, describe the types of government that rose
to power during the neocolonial period as discussed in Chapter 7. In what ways did overseas
empires shape the neocolonial experience (women, social change, political transformation,
economic opportunities, etc.)? In these chapters (5-9), how did the revolutionary movements
throughout Latin America inspire a devoted movement and following? With what kind of
ideals did they connect with?
In the earlier part of the 19the century experienced the independence attained from the
armed struggle. However, the independence from the European power did not suggest that

3
the abolition of the people of Africa from slavery which continued to exist. Relationships
based on hierarchy continued to exist with the evolving of the new section of the elites as
well as cultural intelligentsia. The failure of America to maintain the states that resulted from
the independence boosted conflicts within the domestic nations. The Brazil continued to
nurture its rule of the monarchs in order to avoid the conflicts located in its surrounding
regions. The conflicts resulted in the emergence of the Paraguayan War, which led to the
defeat of the Paraguayan. The notable changes that can be noted in the scenario of Latin
America in 1860 was the changes in the political scenario. The ideals of democracy that have
been fought for had occupied a distant ground as the new authoritarian along with the
dictatorship emerged in the political scenario (Chasteen,p.252).
The effect of Neocolonialism was an internal phenomenon in the political domain of
the country both internally as well as externally. The post colonization scenario experienced a
prosperity in the life of the people from the urban area while the life of the rural people
remained emerged in the meagre living condition. The ideals of capitalism further contributed
in the impoverisation of the people from rural area, thereby dismantling their living
conditions. The apparent progress from the westerners were the impact of the imperialism
brought about by the US and Britain. The countries also played pivotal role in establishing
the ideals out there and the nature of the pervasive influences of the imperialists force led to
the creation of the neoclassical ideals of the society. As a result of the imperialism, the
societal structure of hierarchy continued to exist so did the racial indifferences. The
indifferences based upon the class and race remained to be the marker of the societal prestige.
The stains of superiority along with notion of societal hierarchy had been derived by the
Latin American from the colonizers. As a result, the apparent prosperity of the insiders were
attained from the outsiders. The economic benefits were derived from the revenue they

4
imported to the European along with that their racial superiority has been derived from the
Portuguese (Chasteen,pp.270-272).
The process of liberation as it was experienced by the people of Latin America as
they managed to free themselves from the colonized status. The struggle against the colonial
rule was carried on by the countries like Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. However the fight for
independence had brought about certain innovations in the sphere of arts, politics and
economics (O'Toole). The ideals of diplomacy, which is practiced in the contemporary
political scenario was implemented during 1800s. Along with that, the ideals of
multilateralism managed to claim its position as one of the fundamental principles. In the
domain of economics such scenario experienced a notable change as the scenario experienced
the emergence of ‘Developmental Economy’ as it is known in the present days
(Chasteen,pp.274-276).

5
Works Cited
Chasteen, John Charles. Born In Blood And Fire. W. W. Norton & company, Inc., 1955.
Print.
McPherson, Alan. A Short History of US Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean.
John Wiley & Sons, 2016.
O'Toole, Gavin. Politics Latin America. Routledge, 2017.