# data[].attributes.body
On August 22 1971, slaves in the French colony started the Haitian revolution. Slaves were upset because they were producing so much product and getting treated very poorly. By 1972, slaves seized control of a third of the island after they rose against the plantation owners. The French National Assemble abolished slavery in hope of ending the revolt. In 1804 Napoleon tried to reintroduce it in St. Dominique which failed leading to Haiti's independence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
22nd August 1791: Start of the Haitian Revolution in the French colony of Saint-Domingue

# data[].attributes.body
In 1808 Napoleon forced the two current Spanish ruling kings to give the throne of Mexico to his brother. Miguel Hidalgo created his own army and defeated the Royal Spanish army. Eventually after multiple more battles of fighting Spain, Mexico gained their independence and became a constitutional monarchy. Although this didnt last long and they later elected a president.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mexican War of Independence | 3 Minute History

# data[].attributes.body
The Italian revolution is when the Italian Peninsula was united. Many groups and organizations, some secret, were created to help the unification. Eventually after some of the states rose together in want of unification, the Kingdom of Italy was created.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Italian 1848 Revolutions | 3 Minute History

# data[].attributes.body
The Mexican revolution was fought for Mexico to gain independence from Spanish rule. Led by Miguel Hidalgo, Indians and mestizos created their own peasant army to help fight for unification. After gaining independence Mexico was declared an independent constitutional monarchy in 1821. Then in 1823 they established a republic and elected their first president.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, launches the Mexican War of Independence with the issuing of his Grito de Dolores, or "Cry of Dolores." The revolutionary tract, so-named because it was publicly read by Hidalgo in the town of Dolores, called for the end of 300 years of Spanish rule in Mexico, redistribution of land and racial equality. Thousands of Indians and mestizos flocked to Hidalgo's banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and soon the peasant army was on the march to Mexico City.

In the early 19th century, Napoleon 's occupation of Spain led to the outbreak of revolts all across Spanish America. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla-"the father of Mexican independence"-launched the Mexican rebellion with his "Cry of Dolores," and his populist army came close to capturing the Mexican capital. Defeated at Calderón in January 1811, he fled north but was captured and executed. He was followed by other peasant leaders, however, such as José María Morelos y Pavón, Mariano Matamoros, and Vicente Guerrero, who all led armies of native and racially mixed revolutionaries against the Spanish and the Royalists.

Ironically, it was the Royalists-made up of Mexicans of Spanish descent and other conservatives-who ultimately brought about independence. In 1820, liberals took power in Spain, and the new government promised reforms to appease the Mexican revolutionaries. In response, Mexican conservatives called for independence as a means of maintaining their privileged position in Mexican society.

In early 1821, Agustín de Iturbide, the leader of the Royalist forces, negotiated the Plan of Iguala with Vicente Guerrero. Under the plan, Mexico would be established as an independent constitutional monarchy, the privileged position of the Catholic Church would be maintained, and Mexicans of Spanish descent would be regarded as equal to pure Spaniards. Mexicans of mixed or pure Indian blood would have lesser rights.

Iturbide defeated the Royalist forces still opposed to independence, and the new Spanish viceroy, lacking money, provisions, and troops, was forced to accept Mexican independence. On August 24, 1821, Spanish Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba, which approves a plan to make Mexico an independent constitutional monarchy. In 1822, as no Bourbon monarch to rule Mexico had been found, Iturbide was proclaimed the emperor of Mexico. However, his empire was short-lived, and in 1823 republican leaders Santa Anna and Guadalupe Victoria deposed Iturbide and set up a republic, with Guadalupe Victoria as its first president.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mexican War of Independence begins | September 16, 1810 | HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, launches the Mexican War of Independence with the issuing of his Grito de Dolores, or "Cry of Dolores." The revolutionary tract, so-named because it was publicly read by Hidalgo in the town of Dolores, called for the end of 300 years of Spanish rule in Mexico, redistribution of [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Summary: From 1791-1804 Haiti fought multiple battles to gain independence from France. Slaves revolted because of the harsh and unfair conditions. Former slave Jean Jacques Dessalines helped lead the slaves to freedom. The revolution made Haiti the first country created by people freed from slavery.

# data[].attributes.body
The unification of Italy was the conjoining of the Italian peninsula into one called the Kingdom of Italy. Mazzini started the secret revolutionary society Young Italy which was an organization trying to unite Italy. Another military leader, Garibaldi would help unify and soon take over multiple states and turn them into one that would be named The Kingdom of Italy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Unification of Italy was a 19th century political and social movement that resulted in the unification of the different states of the Italian Peninsula, into a single state - the Kingdom of Italy.

Beginning in the 1840s, the unification was completed in 1871, the same year as the unification of Germany .

This article will give details about the Unification of Italy within the context of the .
Background of the Unification of Italy

The Italian Peninsula had fragmented into different city-states upon the demise of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. Although briefly united under the Ostrogothic Kingdom, it again fell to disunity following the invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) in the 500s.

The northern half of Italy was under the control of the Holy Roman Empire (a German-speaking Empire) beginning in the 8th century while the central and the southern half were intermittently governed between the Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Sicily and the Papal States.

The state of affairs continued well into the 17th century until the rise of the Italian city-states, such as Milan and Venice, changed the balance of power in the region. Wars would be fought between the states and the Holy Roman Empire culminating in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Although it would end the involvement of the Holy Roman Empire, most of Northern Italy would still be ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs, who ruled the Holy Roman Empire at the time. The Spanish Wars of succession would end the Habsburg Rule in Italy by 1714

Italy under Napoleon

The empire established by Napoleon had served as a fuel for revolutionary ideas, as he even encouraged nationalism. Italy would be split again following the Napoleans' fall in 1815, its city-states divided among various European powers, with the Empire of Austria having the most power. But by this time the Italian people had enough of foreign involvement in their land and would begin a series of insurrections to drive the foreigners out and unite their country.

The Unification of Italy Begins
Unification of Italy: UPSC Notes - Download PDF Here
During the 1820s and 1830s, the movement for unification would grow finally culminating in revolutions break out in many Italian states in 1848. Although the revolutions would be suppressed, it did little to stem the tide of revolutionary activities. Guiseppe Garibaldi would emerge as the face of Italian unification during this period.

Guiseppe Garibaldi (1807-1848) was a revolutionary who had taken part in 1848 insurrection but had to go into exile when it failed. Lending his support to King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, he would return to Italy in 1860 bringing with him an army consisting of volunteers from Sicily and Naples. In 1858, Victor Emanuel, along with other northern Italian states, had allied with France to permanently end Austrian involvement in the region.

The insurrection in 1860 would be a success as Garibaldi and his army of Redshirts would conquer the island of Sicily and Naples. Meanwhile, the northern states had joined up with Piedmont-Sardinia and accepted Victor Emmanuel II as their King. Garibaldi handed Naples and Sicily to him in November 1860 and by 1861 Italy was declared as a kingdom. Only Venice and Rome would remain under foreign control and they became a part of Italy in 1866 and 1871 respectively. Thus, the Unification of Italy was completed.

The aftermath of the Unification

Although the reunification was a reality, it leads to total domination of the Kingdom of Piedmont. Despite promises that regional authorities would participate equally in the government, it was the ruling class of Piedmont that dominated the government during the initial years.

The Italian people wanted a united Italy with a weak central government and strong states. What they got instead was a strong central government with little to no power exercised by the states.

The new Kingdom of Italy was structured by renaming the old Kingdom of Sardinia and annexing all the new provinces into its structures. The first king was Victor Emmanuel II, who kept his old title.

The new constitution was Piedmont's old constitution. The document was generally liberal and was welcomed by liberal elements. But this was resented by pro-clergy elements in Venice, Rome Naples and Sicily.

The first decade of the Kingdom of Italy saw civil wars raging in Sicily and Naples which was harshly suppressed. The inevitable long-run results were a severe weakness of national unity and a politicized system based on mutually hostile regional violence. Such factors remain in the 21st century
Related Links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Unification of Italy [1848 -1871]: Background, Events and Aftermath

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Unification of Italy was a 19th century political and social movement that resulted in the unification of the different states of the Italian Peninsula, into a single state - the Kingdom of Italy. To know more about the events regarding the unification of the Italian Peninsula, read the full article here.