Independence of Latin America

 This artwork depicts a guy named Simón Bolivar, a military leader from Venezuela who subsequently spearheaded the liberation of Latin Americans.He was a powerful man with the ability to battle for numerous colonies. Despite coming from a wealthy family, his job required him to fight in a major war.“The barbarous Spaniards…have ravished, plundered, and brought death and destruction..let the monsters who infest Colombian soil…be cast out forever…Any Spaniard who does not…work against tyranny on behalf of this just cause, will be considered an enemy and punished” (Wood and Alexander, p. 33).This indicates that when he sought the independence of Latin America, he wanted those who no longer belonged to the region to either join or become allies. Because he wanted everyone to come together, he did not support what the Spaniards had been doing. For his role in independence to continue, he also cared for indigenous and enslaved people.

As Bolvar headed to the future he had many dreams that had then made a big impact on those in Latin america.“Whether or not these contradictions are tied to his enduring appeal, it is clear that his vision of a strong and united Latin America—an effective bulwark against an ascendant United States and imperial Europe—has always had the power to inspire polit- ical leaders in the region. Independence in Latin America left many dreams unfulfilled— dreams that in many ways have gone unfulfilled to this day—and Bolívar’s dream has been a reference point for that sense of incompleteness for nearly two centuries”( Dawson pg.16).This demonstrates not just how effective he was, but also how these disputes were a major concern.

This image shows a historical figure who had a significant effect on countries such as Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. This was a person who cared for individuals in lower social classes than himself. Bolivar demonstrates how much of an effect one individual can have on people who need it the most.As a result, Latin America has attained the long desired freedom.

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JCB Archive of Early American Images, Accession Number 00-139, Spanish America
Image by John Carter Brown Library at Brown University

Cites sources:

Dawson, Alexander. Latin America since Independence: A History with Primary Sources. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2022.

Wood, James A. and Anna Rose Alexander, editors. Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. 5th ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.