Enlightenment in Latin America :: American America History

sense in Latin the StatesHow Did The Enlightenment Effect Latin America?Enlightenment ideas in Latin America took place during the 1700s to the early 1800s. These ideas were appealed to the people because they taught that soldiery was free and that all were equal. These ideas were grand especially in countries were slavery existed and countries under the control of foreign powers. The sparkling that ignited wide spread revolt was napoleons invasion of Spain. He ousted the Spanish king and placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. Latin American leaders saw Spains opportunity to reject foreign domination and want independence from colonial rule. Two places that were influenced by the enlightenment were Haiti and South America. Toussaint LOuverture was also influenced by the enlightenment. Haiti had over a half million enslaved Africans working on sugar plantations owned by the French. The sugar was hugely profitable, but conditions for enslaved proletarian were horrendou s. Many were cruelly over worked and under fed. Haiti also had a race of twain free and enslaved mulattoes. Free mulattoes, however, had few right and were badly handle by the French. In 1791, a slave revolt exploded in northern Haiti. Under the able leadership of Toussaint LOuverture, Haitians would fight for freedom and surface the way for throwing off French rule. In South America, Native Americans had rebelled against Spanish rule as early as the 1700s. These rebellions had limited results, however it was non until 1800s that discontent among the Creoles sparked a widespread drive for independence. Educated Creoles like Simon Bolivar applauded the French and American Revolutions. He dreamed of winning independence for his country. When cat sleep occupied Spain, Simon returned to his South America and led an uprising that set up a republic in his native Venezuela. But his newly show republic quickly toppled by conservative forces. Bolivar then got a lustiness idea he wou ld march his forces across the Andes and attack the Spanish at Bogot. He man geezerhoodd to free Caracas then moved into Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru to do the same. The man responsible for setting these uprising into action was Toussaint LOuverture. As a pip-squeak he was born into slavery. His father thought him at an early age to take pride in his African heritage. Toussaint l realize to speak both French and his native African language. Thanks to a kind superior he also learned to read. When slave revolts broke out in 1791 he was almost 50 years old, his intelligence and military skills earned him a place as a leader.