The French Revolution and Latin American Independence

The French Revolution and Its Political Impact

Legislation enacted in 1790 abolished the Church's authority to levy a tax on crops, cancelled special privileges for the clergy, and confiscated Church property.

• The government introduced a new paper currency.
• Royalist democrats and the National Party were the two new main parties of France.
• Political "clubs" in French politics were on the rise.
• King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were arrested and later beheaded.
• The Constitution of 1791 was signed by the king (who was forced to do so), and from then on, France functioned as a constitutional monarchy.

The Reign of Terror and the Three Estates

Many people were beheaded on the guillotine because they were seen as counter-revolutionaries and therefore traitors; this period is known as the Reign of Terror.

The social structure of the time consisted of the Three Estates:

• First Estate: Church (Clergy)
• Second Estate: Rich Nobles
• Third Estate: Bourgeoisie

Revolutionary Movements in Latin America

Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution

Toussaint L'Ouverture was initially unfamiliar with military and diplomatic matters. By 1801, he took control of the entire island and freed all enslaved Africans. In 1802, 30,000 French troops landed in Saint-Domingue to remove him from power. A few months later, he agreed to halt the revolution if the French would end slavery. France agreed, but they soon accused him of planning another uprising. They captured him and sent him to a prison in the French Alps, where he died in 1803.

Simon Bolivar and South American Independence

Simon Bolivar was a Venezuelan Creole. Venezuela declared its independence from Spain in 1811. His volunteer army suffered numerous defeats, but a turning point for him came in 1819. By 1821, Venezuela won its independence. He then marched his army into Ecuador, where he met Jose de San Martin.

Miguel Hidalgo and the Mexican War of Independence

Miguel Hidalgo, a priest in the village of Dolores, took the first steps toward independence. He gathered the peasants in the church and told them he wanted to lead a rebellion against the Spanish. This event is known as the Grito de Dolores (the Cry of Dolores). The next day, his Indian and Mestizo followers marched toward Mexico City. This alarmed the Spanish army and the Creoles, who didn't want to lose their land, property, and lives. In 1811, Hidalgo was defeated. Mexico finally achieved independence when a revolution in Spain put a liberal group in power. Creoles in Mexico feared they would lose their privileges in the colony, so they joined forces with the Indians and Mestizos, winning their independence in 1821.