Download Toussaint L`Ovuerture It began in 1791 in the French colony of Saint

Toussaint L’Ovuerture – his story began in 1791 in the French colony of Saint Dominique
(later Haiti). Though born a slave in Saint Dominique, Toussaint learned of Africa from his
father, who had been born a free man in Africa. Toussaint learned that he was more than a slave,
that he was a man with brains and dignity. Toussaint was fortunate in having a liberal master
who had trained Toussaint as a house servant and allowed him to learn to read and write.
Toussaint took full advantage of this, reading every book he could get his hands on. He
particularly admired the writings of John Locke, who spoke of natural rights and the French
Enlightenment philosophers, who spoke of individual rights and equality.
In 1791, 100,000 slaves revolted against their masters. Initially, Toussaint was against the
destruction and bloodshed that was being unleashed by the slave rebels. Though it seems certain
that he was in touch with the rebel leaders, Toussaint spent many months keeping his master’s
slaves in order and the revolutionary laborers from setting fire to the plantation. However, once it
became clear that the lives of all white people were under threat, and the insurrection kept
growing, Toussaint helped his master’s family escape.
Toussaint was trained in the tactics of guerilla warfare. In 1793, he became an aide to Georges
Biassou. He rose rapidly in rank and the black army proved to be surprisingly successful against
the fever-ravaged and poorly-led French troops.
Toussaint would lead his army to victories over the French troops. On May 7, 1802, Toussaint
signed a treaty with the French in Cap-Haïtien, with the condition that there would be no return
to slavery, and he retired to his farm in Ennery. However, after three weeks, A French general
named Leclerc sent troops to seize Toussaint and his family, shipping them to France on board a
warship, accusing Toussaint of plotting another uprising. They reached France on July 2. On
August 25, 1802, Toussaint was sent to the castle Fort-de-Joux in the French Alps where he was
confined and interrogated repeatedly. He died of pneumonia in April 1803.
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an
independent Haiti. In 1791, Jean-Jacques Dessalines joined the slave rebellion led by Jean
François and Georges Biassou. This rebellion was the first action of what would become the
Haitian Revolution. During the March 11th, 1802 battle, Dessalines and his 1,300 men defended
a small fort against 18,000 attackers. To motivate his troops at the start of the battle, he waved a
lit torch near an open powder keg and declared that he would blow the fort up should the French
break through. Dessaline would later lead the slave army after Toussaint signed a treaty with the
French leaders and was later kidnapped and shipped to France.
On November 18th, 1803, black and mulatto forces under Dessalines attacked the fort of
Vertières, North Haiti. French General Rochambeau and his troops surrendered the next day. On
December 4, 1803, the French colonial army of Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered its last
remaining territory to Dessalines' forces, officially ending the only successful slave rebellion in
world history. On January 1st, 1804 from the city of Gonaïves, Dessalines officially declared the
former colony's independence, renaming it "Haiti" after the indigenous Arawak name.
Simon Bolívar returned to Venezuela in 1807. When Napoleon made Joseph Bonaparte King of
Spain and its colonies in 1808, Bolivar participated in the resistance juntas in South America.
The Caracas junta declared its independence in 1810, and Bolívar was sent to Britain on a factfinding mission.
In 1813, after acquiring a military command in New Granada he led the invasion of Venezuela
on May 14. This was the beginning of the famous Campaña Admirable, the Admirable
Campaign. Caracas was retaken on August 6, 1813, and Bolívar was ratified as "El Libertador",
thus proclaiming the Venezuelan Republic.
In 1819, a turning point came in the war when Bolivar led his toops through the Andes into the
area that is now Columbia. Coming from this direction he took the Spanish by surprise and took
a decisive victory at Bogota. A victory at the Battle of Boyacá in 1819 added New Granada to
the territories free from Spanish control, and in September 7, 1821 the Gran Colombia
Federation was created.(This federation covered much of modern Venezuela, Colombia, Panama,
and Ecuador) Bolívar was named President of the federation.
Next, Bolivar would join forces with Argentinian revolutionary Jose de San Martin. San Martin
would allow Bolivar to lead his troops and the combined forces would defeat the Spanish in
Peru. Bolivar was elected president of Peru in 1825 and he later organized a new republic in
southern Peru, which was named Bolivia in his honor.
José de San Martín was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South
America's successful struggle for independence from Spain. During 1812, he focused on training
troops by following the modern warfare techniques he had acquired during the Peninsular War
against Napoleon’s forces.
In 1817, He insists before the government of Argentina to permit to his army to cross the Andes
into Chile. On February 12, 1817 few days after the passage of the Andes, his army, which was
given the name "Army of the Andes", wins the battle of Chacabuco and some days after, San
Martin, enters the city of Santiago de Chile.
While in the Andes, he meets a Chilean who was of Irish-Peruvian decent, named Bernado
O'Higgins. O’Higgins became a close partner to San Martin in their struggle to create
independent American kingdoms. San Martin & O’Higgins combine their forces in Chile,
driving the Spanish out.
After securing Chile, San Martin would meet in Ecuador with Simon Bolivar to continue their
campaign and free all of South America from Spanish rule.
Bernardo O'Higgins was an independence leader and first Chilean head of state who
commanded the combined military forces that won independence from Spain. O'Higgins was
born in Chillán, Chile. As noted in his certificate of baptism, he was the illegitimate son of a
Spanish officer from County Sligo in Ireland, who had become governor of Chile and later
viceroy of Peru. His mother was Isabel Riquelme, a prominent Peruvian-born lady who lived in
Chillán.
In 1810, O’Higgins joined the nationalist rebels fighting for independence from Spain. In 1814,
his Chilean rebels were defeated by the Spanish and he and his troops retreated into the Andes.
In 1817, O'Higgins went back on the offensive with the aid of Argentine General José de San
Martín. On February 12, 1817, he led a cavalry charge that won the Battle of Chacabuco. He
became the first leader of independent Chile, and was granted powers as Supreme Director on
February 16, 1817. On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic.
His six-year rule saw the founding of the Military Academy and the approval of the new (and
current) Chilean flag. However, his more radical and liberal reforms, (such as the establishment
of democracy and abolishment of nobility titles) were resisted by the powerful conservative
large-land owners. During his government, he also assisted José de San Martín to organize an
Army and Navy to support the Independence of Peru.
Miguel Hidalgo was a criollo (Mexican of solely Spanish ancestry), and the parish priest of
Dolores, now called Dolores Hidalgo, a small town in the modern-day central Mexican state of
Guanajuato. Hildalgo was the chief leader of Mexico's war of independence against Spain.
Hidalgo started the fight for independence in 1810. On September 16, 1810, in the town of
Dolores, he used banners with the slogans which, included "Long live religion!, Long live Our
Holy Mother of Guadalupe!, Long live the Americas and death to the corrupt government!" He
then rang the church bells and issued his proclamaition of independence.
In less than a year, Hidalgo had recruited eighty thousand men, mainly indigenous and created an
army. They soon marched towards Mexico City to fight the Spanish Army. At the time, the
Mexican capital was entirely defenseless because the Spanish army had left it to combat
Hidalgo’s army elsewhere. However, Hidalgo did not have confidence in the discipline of his
newly recruited army and did not feel he could control looting or useless violence, once the
fighting began. Hidalgo abandoned his plans and retreated. Nevertheless, his dreams of freedom
were diminished. The Spanish army showed up on the outskirts of Mexico City and Hidalgo
himself was captured, put on trial and executed for treason.
Hidalgo & four other leaders were decapitated and their heads were put in the four corners of the
city as a way to scare off the revolution. Hidalgo and the other three leaders heads were on
display in the city until 1821, when Mexico finally won its independence.
Hidalgo is remembered today by Mexicans as the Father of the Mexican Nation and Liberator of
Mexico.
José María Morelos was one of the main early leaders of Mexico's struggle for independence
from Spain. Morelos was born in Morelia (then known as "Valladolid" and later renamed in his
honor) in what is now the state of Michoacán, then part of New Spain. At the age of 33, he was
ordained as a Roman Catholic priest.
In 1810, he joined the rebellion against Spain called for by Miguel Hidalgo. After Hidalgo was
captured and executed, Morelos took over as the leader of the revolution.
Morelos skillfully fought against the Viceroy's Spanish army, and captured the cities in Oaxaca
(in 1812) and Acapulco, Mexico's main Pacific seaport, the following year.
However, the Criollo Army captured Morelos and turned him over to Spanish forces. He was
shot as a traitor at the village of San Cristóbal Ecatepec (today, San Cristóbal Ecatepec de
Morelos.) His lieutenant Vicente Guerrero continued the fight after his death.
José María Morelos is a national hero of Mexico. In addition to the city of Morelia, the state of
Morelos was named after him.
Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil was born October 12, 1798, at Queluz Palace, near Lisbon,
Portugal. His father was the prince regent at the time and would later become King John VI of
Portugal (João VI). In 1807, when Pedro was nine, the royal family left Portugal as an invading
French army approached Lisbon. Arriving in Brazil with a in early 1808, the family would
remain in Brazil for 14 years. Their presence made Rio de Janeiro the de facto capital of the
Portuguese Empire, and led to Brazil's status of a co-equal Kingdom with Portugal.
After Napoleon’s defeat, King João VI finally returned to Portugal. In the early 1820s most of
the privileges that had been accorded to Brazil were rescinded, sparking the ire of local
nationalists. Pedro, who had remained in the country as regent, sided with the nationalist
element. When pressed by the Portuguese royal court to return, he refused. For that, he was
demoted from regent to a mere representative of the Lisbon court in Brazil. This news reached
him on September 7, 1822, when he had just arrived in São Paulo, from a visit to the port of
Santos. The Brazilians petitioned his father for Independence. On the banks of the Ipiranga
River, he unsheathed his sword, and declared "Independence or death!" His father granted Brazil
independence in 1822 and Pedro was proclaimed Emperor of Brazil on October 12 and crowned
on December 1. It was a bloodless revolution.