Sergio Nieto
HIST 670
American Public University
Essay # 1
Independence of Latin America
Introduction
When I learned about the independence of my country,
Mexico, I remember questioning why all of the sudden all the countries in Latin
America (including Brazil) decided to fight for independence at the same time.
The communications system were not as sophisticated as nowadays. In this essay I will show that in the case of
Spanish Latin American countries there are three outside elements that
influenced their independence. The Brazilian independence shares two of those
elements but they also have a third outside element. This essay is not about the internal causes of the Mexican Independence.
Please allow me to use a visual aid to try to get my point
across. I will compare the independence movements with trees whose seeds are the
enlightenment ideas (liberty, equality, democracy, freedom), and whose fruits are
the benefits that the people receive from the tree. As any other tree it needs
outside care in order to grow strong and produce good fruit. To have a great
tree we need a great seed, great soil, good fertilizer, remove bad weeds etc.
The comparison might be exaggerated but it was useful for
me to have a mental map, and visualize better the outside elements of the
Independence movements of Latin America. I apologize if I cause more confusion
but if you are like me, a visual learner I think it will be helpful.
Outside Element # 1: The
seeds of Freedom from the Enlightenment thinkers.
The enlightenment ideas of freedom, democracy, equality
and liberty were born in the minds of great thinkers. Great minds such us:
Isaac Newton, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu, designed revolutionary
ideas, that challenged the status quo of the society of their times. They wrote
their new ideas trying to “reform
society using reason (rather than tradition, faith and revelation) and advance
knowledge through science. [they] promoted science and intellectual interchange
and opposed superstition, intolerance, and abuses from the
Church and state.”[1]
The ideas of liberty, equality, freedom and democracy can
easily be embraced by most people, except if your status is challenged by them.
The monarchies in Europe had been enjoying great privileges and were oppressing
their people for their benefit. The gap between the monarchies and the rest of
the people was huge. Besides that the monarchies had new possessions, the
American and African colonies. With the new colonies they had acquired in
America and Africa their benefits were even bigger and their power was almost
total, they could dispose even of the lives of the slaves in the colonies.
If you compare the enlightenment ideas with seeds, even
if the seeds are of great quality they must find great soil to make a good
combination. You could have the best seed but it won’t grow in the Sahara
Desert, not because the seed is not good but because the soil is not good.
In the colonies the soil was ready; the people felt
oppressed, even the creoles (children of Peninsular Spanish) felt that they
were not given equal opportunities. The seeds were planted first in the minds
of the educated creoles, and they were in charge of plant those seeds in the
minds of the natives, not by giving them books (they were illiterate) but by
forming rebels groups, and stir them up against the Spanish. For example in
Mexico Padre Hidalgo was an avid reader of Montesquieu, he embraced the ideas
because he felt (as other creoles) that they deserve to be given the
opportunity to occupy the highest ranks of the army, the government, and the
Church. Padre Hidalgo really cared for the natives, always tried to educate
them and taught them (planted the seeds of freedom)[2]
and finally organized them against the Spanish government. It is agreed that
probably Padre Hidalgo did not want the independence but for sure he wanted equality for
the creoles .
Outside Element # 2:
Pulling out the weeds
Any growing tree that is small and weak can be
threatened by weeds around them. The weeks can even kill the trees. A very
important factor that helped the independence movements to grow is the invasion
of Napoleon to Spain and Portugal. When Portugal did not comply with some
treaties with Napoleon, in
1807 Napoleon invaded its territory. Under the excuse of a reinforcement of the
Franco-Spanish army occupying Portugal, Napoleon invaded Spain as well,
replaced Charles IV with his brother Joseph and placed his brother-in-law
Joachim Murat in Joseph's stead at Naples. The Spanish people of course decided
to fight the Napoleon invasion and both army and civilians united fought
together in the Dos de Mayo Uprising [3]
So, Portugal and Spain had to spend
in their efforts to contain the French invasion. They used both money and men
in their attempts to resist the invasion. This event, of course is easy to
understand how the rebels in the colonies would have receive courage and new
motivation to
fight for their independence. They could easily conclude that
since the Spanish government is using their resources to fight Napoleon, then
they were weakened and there would be a chance to defeat them.
Outside Element # 3: The
Cadiz Constitution; the best fertilizer.
A fertilizer is something external that gives
nutrition to the internal parts of the tree.
In 1812 one Cortes (assembly) issued the Constitution
of 1812, or the Constitution of Cadiz. This constitution was very liberal and
reduced the power of the Catholic Church drastically. We have to understand
that the Catholic Church was extremely powerful. If we remember the inquisition
time, we would understand that the Catholic Church was owner not only of the
education (or lacked of it) but also of their consciences, they own more than half
of the real estate of Mexico, they had “banks” that controlled the sale of
indulgencies. In 1814 the Cadiz constitution was
abolished but again in 1820 was restored. According to Luis
Villoro, a Mexican Historian, in 1820, when the constitution of Cadiz was
reinstated was when the independence of Mexico was decided. The Mexican
Catholic Church did not want to suffer what the Spanish Catholic Church
suffered in Spain. So, Matias Monteagudo (a Catholic Priest) conspired (with
other who were against the Cadiz Constitution) and persuade Iturbide to change
sides, and help the rebels to achieve the independence of Mexico. The Padre
Matias Monteagudo, promised Iturbide to be the first emperor of Mexico.[4] So, the idea of Matias Monteagudo were far
from the enlightenment ideals, but to kept the power of the Catholic church in
Mexico. We can say that he succeeded: Mexico became independent (hence Mexico
did not have to abide to the Cadiz Constitution), hence The Catholic Church
remained as one of the greatest powers in Mexico, and Iturbide became the
Emperor of Mexico.
Fortunately
the DNA of the seeds was there and pushed out any other ideals. Iturbide was
overthrown and a democratic government was installed.
I
did not cover the independence of Brazil, because in general they had the same
pattern: “Educated Brazilian Students of this era returned to Brazil carrying
Exciting new ideas and recent publications that circulated in a wider circle”[5] So, the Brazilians craved
to have liberty, equality etc. The difference is that the son of the King of
Portugal was the one who wanted the independence. He had been raised in Brazil.
Conclusion
The fertile
soils of the Americas were ready to receive the seeds of the ideas of liberty,
freedom and democracy. Napoleon weakened Spain
and Portugal, giving space to breathe to the fledging plant. The Constitution
of Cadiz gave the strength to actually conclude the independence. The fruits
that were produced are fruits of opportunities. In the minds of the Spanish the
native were inferior, but the natives were now given the chance to have access
to education, and to climb the social ladder. In 1847, only 36 years after the
independence of Mexico, Benito Juarez, and native Zapotec became the Governor
of Oaxaca. And ten years later he became the First Indigenous President of
Mexico. Benito Juarez is a great example of the fruits of the tree of
independence. When the independence movement started, he was 4 years old and
did not even speak Spanish. He spoke Zapotec. He did not learn Spanish until he
was twelve years old. Only one month after the independence of Mexico (October
1821), he enrolled in a Catholic Seminary. He considered to be a Catholic
priest but decided to study Law. The rest is History. Of course the Latin
American countries have other challenges now, but they are better off than
before the independence movements. |
| Carta de Independencia de Mexico 1821 |
_______________________________________________________________________
[1].Ellen
Wilson and Peter Reill, Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment (2004) p 577
[2]
Burkholder, Mark A.,
and Lyman L. Johnson. Colonial Latin America. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2010. Page 374
[4]
Villatoro, Luis, Historia general
de México, versión 2000
capítulo "La revolución de independencia", México, ed.El Colegio de
México, Centro de Estudios Históricos. 2009.
[5] Johnson,
Lyman L. and Burkholder, Mark A. Colonial Latin America, Oxford University
Press, New York, 2010. Page 320
