Study Guide – New World Independence Movements

Flashcards to create
 Place these terms/names on one side of the flashcard
 On the OPPOSITE side write down a one sentence of why this term/person was historically
important. Make sure you write down which revolution they are associated with.

Jean Jacques Dessalines

Miguel Hidalgo-

Jose de San Martin –

Gran Colombia

Caudillo

Dom Pedro I-

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Jose Morelos –

Agustin Iturbide –

Dom Pedro II –

Simon Bolivar-

Possible Short Answer Questions:

1) Why did the independence movements fail to bring equality to the people?
2) What political and economic problems continue after independence in all the former colonies?
3) In what ways was the Haitian revolution unique?
4) Why did Simon Bolivar’s dream of a Gran Colombia fall apart?
5) Why was Brazil’s revolution called a revolution without a revolution?
What political and economic problems continue after independence in all the former colonies?

(1) Political
 Real power kept in the hands of the elites (Ex: Creole-led South American revolutions
with little social change)
 Corruption
 Rise of caudillos, military-supported dictators
 No voting
 Top govt. jobs controlled by the elite, not shared with the common people
 Very instable governments. The transitions between leaders, the caudillos, is often very
bloody. Often, these governments have little control over their country.
(2) Economic
 Very wide gaps between rich and poor, something inherited from the colonial social
structure that existed before and the weak governments created after revolution is
unable to fix.
 Economies are still dependent on Europe to sell them manufactured (factory-produced)
goods. There is not a favorable balance of trade. They still sell cash crops to Europe
for very little profit. They cannot diversify the economy.
 Huge debt from revolutions.
 Destruction from revolutions ruin environment and the economy.
o Haiti – burning the sugar cane ruins soil
o Latin America/Mexico – retreating Spanish flood gold and silver mines. They
weak caudillo dictators fail to fix this.
o Not as bad in Brazil – it was pretty easy & nonviolent power transition from
monarchy to new monarchy.