SIMON BOLIVAR

“EL LIBERTADOR”

By: John Nicotra

EARLY LIFE
• Simón José Antonio de la Santísma Trinidad
Bolívar y Palacios was born on July 24, 1783.
• He was born in Caracas, New Granada (the
present-day capital of Venezuela)
• He was born into a prosperous family who
died when he was young and was put into
his uncle’s custody.
• Bolivar had a tutor named Simon Rodriquez
who exposed him to writers of the
Enlightenment that inspired the French
Revolution
Maria Teresa-Bolivar
• He went to Spain to finish his education and
when he was there he met and married
Maria Teresa in 1803, but died of yellow
fever a year later.
 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
BEGINNING STAGE
Napoleon
• While in France, Bolivar met Alexander von
Bonaparte Humboldt who helped inspire Bolivar into freeing
“Emperor of South America from the Spanish.
France from
1804-1814 and • Also, in Paris witnessed Napoleon came into power
1815-1815” and felt the principles of the French Revolution
were betrayed.
• Later Bolivar sailed back to Venezuela and a year
later Napoleon invaded and conquered Spain,
thus causing turmoil within the Spanish colonies.
• In March of 1811 a national congress met in
Caracas where Bolivar gave his first public speech,
Joseph Bonaparte "Let us lay the cornerstone of American freedom
“King of French- without fear. To hesitate is to perish.“
occupied Iberian
Peninsula (Spain and • The First Republic formed on July 9 and Venezuela
Portugal)” became the first colony of Spain to attempt
independence.
 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
BOLIVAR’S ROLE
• Bolivar was later named commander-in-chief of the entire New
Granadian (Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador) army
and on May 14, 1813 he began a campaign to liberate
Venezuela from Spain.
• He began his campaign in May of 1813 with 650 men against
4000 Spanish troops, but as Bolivar’s tactics helped his army
achieve five minor victories which brought attracted many
men to fight thus bringing his army to 2500.
• At the Battle of Taguanes Bolivar’s forces were able to cut off
the Spanish army of 1200 troops and achieved his first major
victory on July 31, 1813.
Battle of Taguanes
• On December 5, 1813 Bolivar and his 3000 men led a major
assault against the Spanish army of 5000 under the command
of General Monteverde. Bolivar’s men were heavily
outnumbered and underequipped, but they were led by
Bolivar himself led a march with men mainly equipped with
sticks and knives into the center and overran the Spanish
forces.
 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
BOLIVAR’ ROLE CONT.
• Civil war eventually broke out between the New Granadan
Republic and to make matters worse the Spanish were able to
regain control from the French and sent a large amount of
forces to regain control of its colonies.
• This forced Bolivar and his officers to flee to Jamaica and while
there he wrote his famous Letter to Jamaica that stated, “A
people that love freedom will in the end be free.”
• On December of 1816 Bolivar returns to Venezuela and allied
himself with Antonio Jose Paez, who led a powerful guerilla
cavalry force against the Spaniards. Together they led many
successful victories over Spain.
Antonio Jose Paez
• On June 25 1819 Bolivar and his men marched through the
Andes and was able to defeat the 3000 Spanish troops which
marked a turning point for the rebels.
• Over the coarse of the rest of the war Bolivar would achieve
many more victories and would finally defeat the Spanish.
 LATE LIFE AND LEGACY
• Shortly after the war Bolivar focused completely on
rebuilding the devastation war had left behind on
the South American countries.
• Even though Bolivar had so hard for independence
there were still many factions competing against
Bolivar. In order to keep control he declared himself
dictator of New Granada in 1828, but after an
assassination attempt he resigned in 1830.
• Simon Bolivar would die on December 17, 1830 from
tuberculosis.
• Today many remember him as a great military leader
and influential leader throughout all of South
America and other parts of the world.
 CONCLUSION
• Simon Bolivar was a great leader who played a key role in freeing South
America from Spanish imperialism and causing the eventual collapse of the
Spanish empire. Bolivar’s legacy will never die as it will continue on through
generations.
 CITATIONS

• "Simón Bolívar." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 11 Mar. 2016. Web.

18 Apr. 2017. <http://www.biography.com/people/simon-bolivar-241196>.
• General, The Discriminating. "Biography Simon Bolivar." Military Heritage
Products (Swords, Muskets, Uniforms,...). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
<http://www.militaryheritage.com/bolivar.htm>.
• Faulkner, Written By Neil. "Simon Bolivar and the Spanish-American
revolutions." Counterfire. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
<http://www.counterfire.org/articles/a-marxist-history-of-the-world/16697-
simon-bolivar-and-the-spanish-american-revolutions>.