Latin American Independence

In the $1800$s, Latin American society was strictly divided by birth. At the top were Peninsulares, people born in Spain (the Iberian Peninsula) who held all high government positions. Below them were Creoles, Spaniards born in Latin America. While Creoles were wealthy and educated, they were barred from top offices. This created intense resentment. The lower tiers included Mestizos (mixed European and Indigenous ancestry), Mulattoes (mixed European and African ancestry), and enslaved Africans. This rigid structure meant that about $1\%$ of the population controlled the destiny of millions, creating a 'social tinderbox' ready to ignite.

The fire of revolution didn't start in a vacuum. Creole elites traveled to Europe and brought back Enlightenment ideas of 'natural rights' and 'consent of the governed.' They watched the American Revolution ($1776$) and the French Revolution ($1789$) prove that powerful monarchs could be defeated. The final 'spark' came in $1808$ when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and placed his brother on the Spanish throne. With the Spanish king imprisoned, the colonies felt no loyalty to a French puppet ruler. They saw a window of opportunity to claim their own sovereignty.

The most central figure in this struggle was Simon Bolivar, a wealthy Venezuelan Creole known as 'The Liberator.' Bolivar's vision was not just independence, but the creation of a massive, unified state called Gran Colombia, similar to the United States. Between $1811$ and $1824$, he led brilliant military campaigns across the rugged Andes Mountains. His most famous victory at the Battle of Boyacá led to the liberation of New Granada (modern Colombia). Alongside the Argentine general Jose de San Martin, Bolivar eventually crushed the last Spanish forces in Peru, ending $300$ years of colonial rule.