Latin American Independence

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. The Colony of Saint-Domingue and the Roots of the Haitian Revolution. Saint-Domingue, the Americas' richest slave colony, was ruled by the Code Noir and a rigid, racialized social order.
2. Toussaint Louverture, Dessalines, and the Winning of Independence (1793-1804). After Toussaint Louverture's rise and capture, Dessalines led Haiti's army to victory and independence in 1804.
3. Haiti After Independence: Consolidation, Isolation, and a Model for Spanish America. Independent Haiti faced internal fracture, a French indemnity, and decades of isolation, yet aided Bolívar.
4. The Enlightenment, Creole Grievances, and the Crisis of the Spanish Monarchy. Enlightenment ideas and Napoleon's 1808 seizure of the Spanish throne together triggered American self-government.
5. Mexico and Central America: From Hidalgo's Grito to Iturbide's Empire. Mexican independence passed from Hidalgo's uprising through Morelos's insurgency to Iturbide's Plan of Iguala.
6. San Martín, O'Higgins, and the Southern Liberating Campaign. San Martín's Army of the Andes freed Chile and Peru, while Artigas led Río de la Plata's federalist struggle.
7. Simón Bolívar, Gran Colombia, and the Liberation of South America. Bolívar's campaigns and Sucre's victories at Pichincha and Ayacucho ended Spanish rule in South America.
8. Brazil's Peaceful Path, Foreign Powers, and the Legacy of Independence. Brazil won independence peacefully under Pedro I while Britain, the US, and years of war reshaped the region.