The American Revolution marked a new era in world history and inspired many people in different countries to make changes. It was a time in which people realized that the benefits of independence outweighed the costs to achieve it.
For the most part, Spain’s mission in the New World was to extract wealth. To this end, Spain imposed a number of policies that prohibited trade between the colonies and with other countries; essentially all commerce was conducted through Spain at great detriment to the colonies. Furthermore, a virtual caste system was imposed, basically prohibiting anyone born in the colonies to hold any kind of position of power.
Grievances continued to mount due to the developments in the late 1700s, when Spain suffered a number of military disasters. The monarchy, determined to improve imperial defenses, needed to increase revenues. It set in place a series of measures, known as the Bourbon Reforms, to raise money, provide for defense, and centralize government authority. Many of these reforms occurred during the reign of King Charles III, from 1759 to 1788, and led to significant changes in the economic, political, and religious structure within the colonies.
Since Spain was fighting many battles in Europe, they did not have sufficient forces to patrol the colonies. To this end, tens of thousands of Spanish American colonists were armed and trained in some kind of military service. Ironically, this measure to protect the Spanish Empire contributed to its downfall, as these militias later formed the base of the armies of independence.
When Napoleon took over continental Europe in the early 1800’s he deposed the king of Spain and installed his own ruler. The colonists, refusing to accept their new ruler, declared independence and began to act under their own power. After Napoleon’s fell from power, the real King of Spain was re-instated and sought to rein in his colonies.
Two main revolutionaries that standout in the South American fight for independence are Simon Bolivar and Antonio de San Martin. They clearly saw the advantages of independence, and both fought hard to that end. Jose de San Martina and his army fought to free Argentina, Chile and parts of Peru from Spanish rule, while Simon Bolivar fought for the independence of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador and parts of Peru. Things came to a head when both leaders met at a house in Guayaquil. At this meeting, Bolivar and San Martin decided the fate of South America. No one really knows what exactly was discussed at this meeting, but shortly afterward San Martin left for Europe and Bolivar became the leader of the independence movement.
Simon Bolivar’s vision was a united South America, but there were a number of obstacles that stood in his way. Despite many warnings and tireless work at building his envisioned country, he could not prevent the infighting, greed and distrust between his subordinates (see the warning he gave to the new political leaders, Warning). Unfortunately Simon Bolivar died without pomp or circumstance from tuberculosis at age 47, driven out of power and unappreciated at the end of his life. Now there is not a person from South America that does not recognize the name of Simon Bolivar. In fact, a country is named after him, Bolivia, and there is hardly a city that does not bare his name on one of their streets.
Although Simon Bolivar, inspired by Locke, Hobbs and the American Revolution, had a clear vision of where he wanted his country to be, he had the chore of convincing everyone around him that a United country dedicated to freedom and democracy would bring about unparalleled prosperity. He had to fight the legacy of the Spanish and the imprint it left upon the colonies. Because of the colonial system, their economies were not diversified, their roads and ports were not developed, and their people lacked experience at representative government. Leaders were divided over the roles that government and the church should play in the new nations.
Although the new countries made progress many countries, regions fought with each other for political or economic power. The independent nations created somewhat more open societies than the colonial regimes they replaced, introducing republican institutions, gradually ending slavery, and allowing some improvement in the status of non-whites. But many of the countries came under the control of military dictators, setting a pattern that continued into the 20th century.
In comparing the South American Revolutions with the American Revolution, there are several differences that stand out. Although all were based in principles set forth in the Age of Enlightment, each had unique struggles that ultimately affected their future.
The United States had a unique situation, as their Revolution affected 13 colonies that banded together against British Rule. Military personnel were often rewarded for their service with money, but more importantly, many of them received land for their service. America was forging its way westward, and land was not an issue; there was plenty. The government would focus upon how to incorporate new land instead of how to divide it. One of the main struggles in South America was how to divide up the land after the royalist owners were expelled. A key struggle in the forming of new governments in South America was who was going to assume power, the church, the military, or civilians. In many cases, this has still not been determined.
I am not sure if it was luck, wisdom, the environment, or what that produced the United States’ Declaration of Independence and its constitution, but at the end of the day, these are only documents--pieces of paper. They are just documents until there is an agreement to abide by them. They day George Washington stepped from the presidency to becoming an regular citizen was an amazing day. He had the respect of the people and command of the army, most people would not have been surprised had he not stepped down. At that point in history there were very few if any leaders that had stepped down voluntarily and were replaced by someone else. George Washington almost had supreme power over the United States. Where would we have been today if he had not stepped down? The founding fathers of the United States offered their wisdom and visions but were motivated more by the union than their personal gain. This is what made this revolution unique and why it served as a great example for others.