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Independence Process in America (1774/1821):

Loss and emancipation of the spanish colonies, and Independence of Haiti and United States of America.
Diego Lobato 28/12/2011

1. Independence of the United States of North America: Almost 100 years after the discovery of America England started to create colonies in Virginia, part of the former United States of America, U.S. In 1607 the British created the first, stable, colony in North America, on the East Coast, in Virginia. Then, they started to conquest territories until they created the famous 13 Colonies, embryo of the modern U.S. The British Empire explored and controlled, until 1775, large areas in America: the Caribbean colonies, with lots of plantations of cotton, tea, and cocoa, and the 13 Colonies in North America. The Caribbean colonies based their economy on sugar and cotton plantations, but the trade was in deficit. The settlers started to bring slaves, from Africa, to work in the colonies, and they increased their productivity, and became very important for the economy of the crown, and also the trade between the crown and the colonies in which the economy was based on. In North America, the 13 Colonies, the settlers were the owners of the land, and the bourgeoisie was growing quite powerful, controlling shipyards and commercial centers. But the productivity was pretty low. To assure the productivity of the colonies, the empire, will try to monopolize the market. That kind of measures will provide, to the colonies, a huge market to sell their products, and also will avoid the trade with the enemies of the crown, such as France, Spain, etc. They start to grow. In the middle of the XVII century the colonies will start to conquest the western territories, mother-land of the Indians, after the peace of 1763, which ended the war between England, and their allies, and France and their allies, that forced the Spanish to leave Florida, now under British control, giving to the colonies the chance to feel free of threats and conquer the new territories without the threat of been attacked by Spain or France. But the rebellion of chief Potomac will force the crown to send the army to the colonies to protect them by creating a fortified line in the western territories. The crown, also, will raise the taxes to pay the army deployed in the western territories. The measures taken by the crown include taxes to the trade of the American products, the documents between the colonies and the crown and many more. The settlers will be against the crown, forcing them not to raise taxes in 1765 after several boycotts to the trade with the crown, that reduce the trade to a 25%, also the black market will grow. The government will be forced to take new economics measures, but they will always find opposition against the economics measures. The settlers will get control over the taxes, accepting a rise in taxes on the imports/exports. But the seed of revolution had been already planted.
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Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Georgia.

The settlers will try to become more independent, arguing that the crown doesnt know the needs of the colonies , so, they must be free to control themselves. But the crown didnt wanted them to have a parliament, arguing that the settlers werent Britishs citizens, so they cannot have control over the land, they were just settlers. The settlers will demand a federal empire, in which the crown only intervenes in the affaires between colonies. The crown will not accept these demands, and the Whigs, the radicals, now the Tea Party, will try to demonize the crown to be able to start the war against the crown and the Tories for the independence. The war will start in 1774 in Massachusetts, after the Boston Tea Party, and will end in 1783 with the peace of Paris, and the independence of the United States of North America. During the war, France and Spain will help the settlers against the British troops trying to weaken them. Spain, also, recovered Florida after the war, in return for their help. After the war, the U.S. began the process to create a country. The pillars will be the democracy and the individualism. They will create a federal country, in which they will have a parliament for each state, and also one for the entire country. They will have a constitution that assures the freedom of their citizens. During the war, the U.S. will receive help from Spain and France, and thats going to be important during the XIX century, in which the U.S. will help the colonies to get their independence and they will start the Monroes doctrine which will finish the empires of both French and Spaniards. The most important thing about the U.S. independence war was the ideals of their independence. The settlers started to have conscience of their independence and, also, they will discover that they can be free, independent, by their own. Thats going to be very important in the new independence process of south, and central America.
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2. Independence of Haiti: Haiti was discovered by Colon in his first trip to America, on the 5 of December of 1492. The island became part of Spain as it was signed by the treaty of Santa Fe in 1492 by Colon and the Catholics Kings, Isabel and Fernando, of Spain. Colon decided to establish a colony there, to show the kings that America was a good place to be, and colonize. But the bad government, the sickness and the misunderstanding with the local population, decreased the total population to its lowest level in 1506. After Colon leave the control of the colony, the Spanish settlers started to built a new colony under the government of Spanish public workers and nobility.
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They will be supported by J. Lockes book Two Treatises on Government . This is based on divine right and natural right , and supports the creation of parliaments to control all the territories.

After the discovery and conquest of Mexico and Peru, La Espaola, the island became less important. The Spanish abandoned the island around 1550. During the 17th century, France started to colonize the island, after using Tortuga island as base for their pirates and corsarios, Spanish name for the pirates that are under the orders of a country, or private partner. After the conquest by the French, the island trade of cotton, cocoa, and coffee, and, almost everything that the plantation system could produce, the island became really important. The trade with France, not only with non manufactured products, but with slaves, was really big and leaves large amounts of money. The troubles started with the sugar and cotton producers. The owners of the plantations need, indeed, lots of slaves to maintain the production, making them weak against the slave traders, and also, that make weak the sugar manufactures in France. The manufacturers started to give money in advance to the producers to maintain the production. But, to the point of view of the producers, that wasnt fair, and they started to look forward a new solution, the independence. Most of the producers of sugar, the owners of the plantations, were white settlers, not mulatos and the look the mulatos as inferior people, they had a problem with races. But the French Revolution appeared proclaiming the ideals of libert, fraternit et equalit, and establishing that any son of a mixed marriage, white settler and a color person, even slaves, had the right to inherit everything from their parents, and also reestablish all the rights they have lost before the revolution, such as the right to carry weapons (1758), to enlist the army or became doctors (1771), mixed marriages, etc... by offering to the National Assembly large amounts of money to pay the new revolutionary army. The white settlers were against this measure considering it as a violation to their rights as French citizens, they didnt even considered French the son, or daughter, of a mix marriage: slaves and mulatos were considered inferior by the white French. In 1790, the finally reach to create a Colonial Assembly, favorable to their will. The white settlers showed them against this new assembly, and the mulatos were forced to use violence to get their objectives. The war between white and mulatos started, but nobody took care of the slaves. Then, after many years of slavery, the slaves, finally, started their own revolution, the first revolution made by slaves. The settlers, frightened by the slaves, suddenly became allies and started to fight the new revolution. During the war, Toussaint Louverture became leader of the slaves and accepted the French call to fight Spanish and British in the island, called on the other hand by the settlers and the slaves respectively to fight against each other. They defeated the Spaniards in 1795, signing the Basilea Treaty which forced Spain to leave the western part of the island. The alliance between slaves and mulatos tried, then, to normalize the political situation in the island, by establishing a trade alliance with U.S. and also naming Louverture governor of the island.

In this point, the settlers decided to start a war against Louverture, they didnt wanted to be under the control of a slave. But they were defeated by Louverture, who wanted to create a new regime based in non racist laws. But, in 1800, Napoleon reaches the government of France, and he decided to modify the colonies administration. He wanted the island to pay for their wars in Europe, by removing the actual regimes in the colonies and putting the negros to slavery again. Louverture tried to take advantage of the situation by conquering the entire island. Napoleon, then, conquered the island executing Louverture. But the negros knowing what was going on, they were against Napoleon plans, started a new revolution, and helped by the yellow flu, fought the French army deployed in the island, claiming the independence of Haiti. Finally, in 1804, under the leadership of Henri Cristophe and Dessalines, the Haitians proclaimed their independence, creating a new empire, known as the Haitian Empire, with Dessalines as emperor. Then, the problems started to the newborn state. The emperor was executed in 1806, and Cristophe took control of the country until 1820, when he committed suicide. Then, the island was split in two, until Pierre Boyer reunified the country after the death of Cristophe. That way, the slaves showed the entire world that they didnt wanted to be under slavery anymore, and that they constituted an important force to fight for their freedom. 3. Independence of South America; Simon Bolivar and San Martin: Spain conquered South America in the 16
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century, just after the discovery of America by

Colon. Establishing a new colonial regime based on the ethnic division of the society, the descendents of the Spaniards will be the powerful elite in the colonies and, under them, mestizos, Indians, and slaves. They will divide the new colonies into a few Virreinatos that havent the same economic situation, making them completely different ones to the others. The economy of the colonies was based on the trade with gold, silver, copper, and non manufactured products, also the plantation system had its own place, with Sevilla, in Spain. The politics were in the hand of the Spanish elite, but not all of the Spanish descendents will have the same rights, only the people born in Spain will be able to became politicians, and army officers, while the rest of the Spaniards in the colonies, the people that was born in America, just could occupy lower political, and military, charges, while they where the richest people in America. This situation, unfair, became one of the most important reasons for them to fight for the independence. The Spanish Independence War creates a new, favorable, situation to the colonies under Spanish control in the 19 century, as important as the new dynasty, the Borbons, and their
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Territories under control of a vice king , that had the same role as a king in Spain, but deserved loyalty to the former Spanish king.

centralizing tradition, and the former division of the society, between criollos and peninsulares . The French invasion of Spain just accelerated the process of independence. During the Spanish Independence War, the Spaniards decided to be under the government of Juntas that could be, or not, against France and the new king, Jose I, also known as Pepe Botella (Peter Bottle), promoted by Napoleon, or, in the other hand, be favorable to Fernando VII el Deseado, the former king of Spain. Also, existed a third way, the independence one. The Juntas system survived the war, and, then, the problems started. Fernando VII, who had reach the crown in 1812 by accepting the Cadiz Constitution, a liberal constitution that wanted to follow democratic, French inspired, ideals with which not many people agreed, proclaims himself king of the Spanish colonies in south and north America, as usual. But then, the Juntas started to fight against each others. Many of them recognized Fernando VII as their king, but not the new liberal regime that was constituted in Spain, and others didnt wanted at all be under the control of Fernando VII. They started to fight. And many of the Juntas became independent for a short period of time, until the royalist reached the power in 1810, and started to conquer the colonies. In 1815, only Buenos Aires still independent. In Ro de Plata, during the Trienio Liberal, the independence process became stronger. The Liberal Regime sent an expedition to conquer the ex-colony, but in Rio de Plata they had created a strong army, lead by Jose San Martin, that defeated the army sent by Spain. And in 1816, proclaimed their independence. But the Spanish army deployed in Chile was a big trouble for the new country, so they decided to send San Martin, with his Granaderos a Caballo, heavy cavalry, to defeat them. San Martin conquest Chile and put OHiggins as governor, one of his allies, and continue his way to Peru. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, after having been conquest by the royalist Bolivar declared the war against the royalist regime. In the beginning he was forced to leave Venezuela by the royalist, but the war started again in the mid 1810s. Bolivar wanted the support of everyone, so he proclaimed equal rights for everyone, defeating the royalist in 1821, and proclaiming the creation of Gran Colombia. The two liberators meet in 1822 and together fight against the royalist in Peru, defeating them in 1823, and establishing a new independent country. 4. Independence of Mexico: Mexico will be discovered in 1500 by the Spaniards, and conquered in 1521 by Hernn Corts. Then, the Spaniards establish a colony, New Spain, which lasted almost 300 years.
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The sons of marriage between people from the peninsula, or from Spanish that were living in the colonies. 5 People who was born in the Iberian Peninsula. 6 Associations of politics from the cities that belongs to them.

During the Spanish Independence War against France (1808/1812) the Spanish colonies started their process to reach the independence, and Mexico is not going to miss the opportunity. In Mexico, the process of independence will be different to the independences of the South America colonies. Its going to be fight for the independence where well find slaves and mestizos7 fighting against the empire, something that we cannot find in the movements of Simon Bolvar or San Martin, only in Haiti. When France invaded Spain in 1808, the Spanish government disappeared, and in the colonies the process of independence starts. The colonies started to be controlled by Juntas , as they do in Spain. Soon, the settlers started to question who should govern them: Fernando VII and their vice king, or themselves. They decided to create a Junta with the most powerful people in Mexico. But in 1810 Miguel Hidalgo, priest of Dolores, gave a speech, inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution and the U.S, calling for the independence of Mexico, against the Spaniards. He will use the Indians and the slaves to fight against the Spanish regime, like the French mulattos did in Haiti to fight the white planters. He conquered many cities in Mexico before attempt to conquest Mexico D.F, where hell be defeated by Trujillos army and executed, in 1811. But, in 1812, Jose Morelos followed the steps of Hidalgo. He will try to conquest the country from the south. He was stronger than Hidalgo, because he had a political program, in which he promised freedom and equal rights to the people, inspired, too, by the French Revolution. He conquered the south of Mexico, he planned to conquest Valladolid, and establishes there a government for the future nation, but he was defeated by Iturbide, and the war started to be favorable to the royalist. Finally, in 1815, he was defeated by an army loyal to the monarchy of Fernando VII and executed, although his thoughts survived between the creoles and the Spaniards, after the restoration of the monarchy in 1814. After the death of Morelos many rebels tried to defeat the Spanish empire, 1815-1821, but theyre going to be defeated by the royalist in 1821. In 1820, with the rise of the liberals to the power in Spain, the Mexican people will take the final steps to their independence. The Mexican elite, loyal to Fernando VII, was against the new constitution and the new government. Agustin de Iturbide defeated the rebels that still fighting in the south of Mexico, and after that, he will propose an alternative regime in 1821, known as Plan de Iguala, based on the ideals of Morelos, Hidalgo, and many others, that was supported by most of the Mexicans. He created the Trigarante Army, and offered the crown of Mexico to
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People whit parents indian and European. Junta is the name given by the Spaniards to the local administrations, created during the independence war (1808-1812), to be an alternative to the government of France.

Fernando VII and his family. But the Mexican elites were against him and his plan and the war start again. After defeating his enemies, Iturbide proclaims the independence of Mexico on 27 September, 1821. 5. Loss of Louisiana and Florida: Loss of Louisiana: After the discovering and late abandonment of the territories of Louisiana by the Spaniards in the 16th century, by considering the area empty of richness, France, under the reign of Louis XIV, conquered the area, naming it Louisiana. The French tried to establish a link between Canada and the Caribbean Sea, to be able to trade with Haiti and Europe easily and, also, to stop the Spanish conquest of North America around Texas. The French settlers started to arrive in the 17 century, building colonies around the Mississippi river. When the Borbons won the Spanish Sucesion war (1700-1713), establishing the Borbon dynasty in Spain, as well in France, the two countries started to share the territories and the control of them, until 1803, when Louisiana was sold to the U.S. But, after the French Revolution, the Europeans countries started a war to defeat the revolutionary process, fearing the outbreak of similar process in other countries. But France won the war, and forced Spain to leave St. Dominique in 1795, and occupied St. Dominique. Then, in 1796, the Spanish king, Carlos IV signed a treaty with France, Fontainebleau Treaty. The treaty forced Spain to seal an alliance with France against England, so Spain had to join the war between France and England, and their allies. During the war, England conquered Menorca and Gibraltar. But the French-Spain alliance won the war, and Spain decided to create a buffer state between New Spain, Mexico, and the U.S. Also, Carlos IV, wanted to safeguard the territories and the power of his family, the Parma House, in Italy. So he, Carlos IV, decided to sign a treaty with Napoleon, who had reach the power of France in 1800, to sold Louisiana to France, secretly. Later, after losing Haiti, France wanted to get rid of their colonies in America, he wasnt able to protect their colonies in America, without a military base in Haiti. In 1803, Napoleon, decided to sell Louisiana to the U.S. That way, France, also avoid a war against England for the control of the North America colonies. Loss of Florida: Florida was discovered by the Spaniards in 1498 and soon became a part of the newborn Spanish Empire, under the reign of Fernando and Isabel, the Catholics Kings. The Spanish
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explorers discovered that Florida wasnt an island between 1513 and 1520, establishing there some colonies, forming the new territory called Florida, name given by Ponce de Leon in honor to the festivity of Pascua Florida. Between 1500 and 1550 the Spaniards established colonies all over south and north America, taking advantage over the rest of European countries, that havent discovered America yet. In 1600 the sons of the Perfida Albion, England, started to conquest large areas near Florida and the Spanish colonies in north America, the new British colonies will be the famous 13 Colonies. Spain, considering this as a threat, reacted attacking the new British colonies in America, but, seeing that an attack was impossible, tried to make the Indians attack the British settlers. Spain tried to gain the Indian support until the Sucesion war between the Habsburg and the Borbon dynasty to reach the kingdom of Spain. The Borbon dynasty won the war in 1713, and Felipe V, Philip the 5 , started a period of wars against England that would ended with in 1763, when Spain was forced by a treaty with England to leave Florida and their colonies in the East Coast, gaining in return the French territory of Louisiana. But few years later, in 1779, Spain conquered Florida again during the U.S. independence war (1774/1783). Also, Spain recovered Menorca and many places lost in the peace of 1763. But then, in 1808, the Spanish Independence War begun, and Florida showed to be in favor of the independence of Spain, thanks to the ideals of the U.S. Independence War and the French Revolution, but the war ended and Florida remains as part of Spain. On the other hand, the U.S. pretends to take control over Florida, as part of a treaty with France, by which Louisiana was sold to them in 1803, arguing that Florida was part of Louisiana, and not an independent colony. Between 1812 and 1821, the U.S. settlers, started to invade Florida, and fight against the Spaniards for the control of the territory. Simon Bolivar sent a general, G. McGregor, to take control of Florida proclaiming the Republic of Florida. Spain and U.S, the president James Monroe decided to send an army to invade Florida by land and sea, reacted sending an expedition to recover Florida, now under the control of Bolivar and McGregor. But the U.S. decided to conquest all the territory instead to help Spain in 1818. Andrew Jackson invade Florida, gaining the support of Monroe, forcing the Spanish to leave Florida in exchange for $5.000.000. The treaty of Adams-Onis was ratified by Fernando VII, king of Spain, in 1821, and also by Mexico in 1832. The treaty establish the U.S. sovereignty of Florida, territory in which Spain hasnt control at all before, and also establish the Spanish sovereignty of Texas and New Mexico.
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6. Bibliography: Jean Pierre BASTIEN, Amrica Latina: 1492-1992, descubrimiento, conquista, emancipacin, UNAM, Ciudad de Mxico 1992. Lester LANGLEY, The Americas in the Age of Revolution, 1730-1850, Yale University, New Haven 1996. Carlos MALAMUD, Manual de Historia Universal 10, Amrica, Historia 16, Madrid 1992. Demetrio RAMOS PEREZ, Simn Bolvar: el libertador, ABC, Madrid 2004.