The History of Latin America: the Independence Era (1806-1825)

1. Independence in Argentina (2)
2. Independence in Colombia (1)
3. Independence in Mexico (6)
4. Independence in Venezuela (2)

The Liberators of South America

In 1810, South America was still part of Spain's vast New World Empire. By 1825, however, the continent was free, having won its independence at the cost of bloody wars with Spanish and royalist forces. Independence might never have been won without the brave leadership of men and women ready to fight for liberty. Meet the Liberators of South America!

The Top Ten Liberators of Latin America
In 1810, Spain controlled much of the known world, its mighty New World Empire the envy of all the nations of Europe. By 1825 it was all gone, lost in bloody wars and upheavals. The Independence of Latin America was wrought by men and women determined to achieve liberty or die trying. Who were the greatest of this generation of patriots?

Biography of José Martí
José Martí (1853-1895) was a Cuban revolutionary and poet. Although he was not a soldier, he was a leading advocate for Cuban independence from Spain from the time he was sixteen years old. He died in combat against Spanish forces in Cuba in 1895 and is today revered as a Cuban national hero.

The August 10 Movement in Quito, Ecuador
On August 10, 1809, a group of citizens in Quito, Ecuador, decided that since Napoleon had invaded Spain, they no longer had to obey the Viceroy in Lima and set up their own government. The colonial administration had other ideas, and sent an army to bring them in line. Most of them were arrested in October. In August, 1810, the conspirators were massacred in a Quito dungeon.

Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins (1778-1842) was a Chilean landowner and one of the leaders of its struggle for Independence. Although he had no formal military training, O'Higgins took charge of the ragged rebel army and fought the Spanish from 1810 to 1818 when Chile finally achieved its Independence. Today, he is revered as the liberator of Chile and the father of the nation

José de San Martín
A Biography of José de San Martín,liberator of Argentina and Chile.

1819: Simon Bolivar Crosses the Andes
In 1819, the War for Independence in Northern South America had stalled. Venezuela, where most of the fighting had taken place, was in ruins. Simon Bolivar decided to take the fight to neighboring New Granada, now Colombia. In his way: the snowcapped peaks of the mighty Andes Mountains.

Biography of Manuela Saénz
Manuela Saénz was the mistress of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator of South America. Much more than simple arm candy for Bolívar, she was an important figure in the Independence movement in her own right, serving as a Colonel in the rebel army.

The Battle of Junin
On August 6, 1824, Liberator Simon Bolivar routed a mighty Spanish army at the Lake of Junin high in the Peruvian mountains. This victory set the stage for the Battle of Ayacucho, where another stunning patriot victory assured freedom for Peru and all of South America.