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The French colony called Saint Domingue was the first Latin American territory to free itself from Europe rule. The colony now know as Haiti, occupied the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. It was the first black colony to free itself from European control.

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In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo, a priest in the small village of Dolores, took the first step toward independence. He firmly believed in Enlightenment ideals. Hidalgo's Indian and mestizo followers began a march toward Mexico City. Events in Mexico took yet another turn in 1820 when a revolution in Spain put a liberal group in power there. Mexico's creoles feared the loss of their privileges in the Spanish-controlled form Spain-controlled colony. So they united in support of Mexico's independence from Spain.

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Latin American Wars of Independence (North, Simon Bolivar) (1808-1826)

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Latin American Wars of Independence (North, Simon Bolivar) (1808-1826)

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By 1821, Bolívar had won Venezuela’s independence. He then marched south into Ecuador. In Ecuador, Bolívar finally met José de San Martín. Together they would decide the future of the Latin American revolutionary movement.

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Latin American War of Independence (South, San Martin)(1808-1826)

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Latin American War of Independence (South, San Martin)(1808-1826)

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San Martín was a modest man. Though born in Argentina, he spent much of his youth in Spain as a career military officer. He fought with Spanish forces against Napoleon. He returned to Latin America to be a part of its liberation from Spain. Fighting for 10 years, he became the liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

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In 1807, Napoleon’s armies invaded both Spain and Portugal. They took their court and royal treasury to Portugal’s largest colony, Brazil. Rio de Janiero became the capital of the Portuguese empire. For 14 years, the Portuguese ran their empire from Brazil. Napoleon was defeated in 1815, and six years later King John and the Portuguese government returned to Portugal. Dom Pedro, King John’s son, stayed behind in Brazil.