Simón Bolívar, the most renowned leader of the Latin American independence movement, was born to a wealthy Venezuelan landowning family in 1783. Orphaned at an early age, he was educated by a private tutor who inspired in his pupil an enthusiasm for the principles of the Enlightenment and republicanism. After spending three years in Europe, Bolívar returned to New Spain in 1803, where the death of his new bride plunged him into grief and caused his return to France and Italy. In 1805, in Rome, he took a vow to dedicate his life to the liberation of his native land. On his return he became a leading member of the republican-minded group in Caracas that in 1808 began to agitate for independence and in 1810 deposed the colonial governor. Until his death in 1830, Bolívar dedicated himself to the Latin American independence movement as a publicist, diplomat, theoretician, and statesman. His greatest contribution was as the general who led the armies that defeated the Spaniards and liberated the northern regions of South America.The so-called Jamaica Latter was written in 1815 during a self imposed exile in Jamaica (you can read it by clicking here). It was addressed to “an English gentleman,” probably the island’s governor, the Duke of Manchester. The Venezuelan Republic had collapsed in May as a result of a viciously fought Spanish counteroffensive, divisions among the revolutionaries, and opposition form many Indians, blacks, and mulattoes, who viewed the Creole landowners, not the Spaniards, as their oppressors. The letter was written in response to a request from the Englishman for Bolívar’s thoughts about the background and prospects of the liberation movement.
Once you have read the letter, I would like you all to think about and discuss the following: Why does Bolívar believe that Spain’s efforts to hold on to its American territories are doomed? What Spanish policies, according to Bolívar, made Spanish rule odious to him and other revolutionaries? In Bolívar’s view, what complicates the task of predicting Spanish America’s political future? Does Bolívar’s letter reveal concern for the economic and social condition of South America’s nonwhite population? What are some of the implications of Bolívar’s attitudes? Finally, based on your reading of Bolívar, what guesses can you make about the reasons why the new nations of South America found it difficult to achieve stable republican governments? Your thoughts…
22 comments:
it seems like he thought the people who would be ruling wouldn't be good enough rulers, which prill kinda mentioned in his lecture, about how they weren't really prepared for it. bolivar also kinda thought that the people weren't really fit to rule, not really having their own definite style in a way. he was also down about it because it was such a new nation who just couldn't do it yet.
he also mentioned how they were barely above slaves. i think he is aware that a lot of people are in lower classes, which he knows is a problem. it kinda makes me think of how people in spain didn't like the encomienda system because commoners were rising up. he seems to imply this, when talking how foreign people are still foreign people.
Bolivar says that Spain is threatened with the fear of death and other harm. He also said that they have "seen the light" and it is not their "desire to be thrust back into darkness". I thought tha meant that Spain already knew of what to come and that they should be scared of what could come if the don't back off. he also says that they are also going to assert the rights they had in Europe against the rights of the natives. So, just because Latin America wants to break off of Spain, it doesn't mean that it will forget it's ancestry. He also believes that Latin America can not become a republic and that it is impossible for that to happen
he seems angry at the spanish for keeping them in the dark for so long about governing and commercial techniques that doom the people to failure after the absolute monarchy is gone. he also seemed upset that they were restricted in everything, no matter what they did.
Bolivar say "states are slaves". he says this is because of the misuse of the constitution by the americans. i think that point out that he lost hope in americas political setup. he says that they are not european nor indegenious and that they are a new specimen of america. that shows his pride in being american. then, he says that they have the values of the spanish society in them and the protectiveness of the indigineous people in them. i think he's trying to show how important they are and that they too are important like spain and other countries in europe.this also shows his social position as he believes in spanish society which doesn't give rights to all (women) he never really mentions this but i guess we can tell from the lectures and that one line. he's kind of summarizing latn americas strenghts and weaknesses. i hd one question, why is he writing about their state to the governer? like, it just doesn't make sense..was the governer on their side or spanish side? why would bolivar write about L.A's weaknesses if he's writing to the enemy? wouldn't that just weaken his point?
he's writing to a british governor miss patel... the governor of jamaica, hence the jamaica letter... britain is not the enemy technically
Bolivar idolized George Washington. He sought to create a similar system as the United States in South America, and he wanted to be the first president. He tried, but failed. It makes you think how difficult it was for the United states to be formed. That came with a cost though, Mr. Prill said that the USA wasn't united until the 1890s.
well we were technically united post-civil war, but there's no real stability until the 1890s
i kinda like him.
i mean he had a good plan. he wanted to unite south american for what seemed like somewhat good reasons..
i kinda wonder if south america would have gotten united, would the united states have a closer relationship with them today?
although it seemed impossible to unite it, i think it they would of had ruler after ruler attempt it, they could have done it. (just like in another country that i cant rememeber the name of at the moment..)
amber toy
well it seems to me that Bolivar is angry at the spanish.he questions why have they been left in the dark for so long?he throws questions at the spanish like bullets and the spanish seem to have no answers.because Bolivar has one major goal and the spanish won't cooperate he plans to take things in his own hands.nomore will the the new america be enslaved under spanish control.
It is interesting when you consider the implications that would have been put on world history if BolÍvar had been able to unite South America. I wonder if they could have become a world superpower like the united states is today. I use to always see the British colonies as being united while under the rule of the British where as they really were not. It could have just as easily have been the Spanish colonies of South America that untied and formed a different United States of America. Its hard to imagine what the world would be like today if the world's superpower spoke Spanish....
I think Bolivar was not adequately equipped to unite all of the grand Colombia. He had good intensions but I think he didn't realize how hard it would be to unite such a mass amount of land and people.
I think Bolivar was smart to realize that because of Spanish oppression on S. Americans, they were not equipped to rule themselves as a united republic. He mentions how the natives held no positions of authority while the Spanish ruled, so they were "young in the ways of arts and sciences, but old in the ways of civilized society." Even if some of the natives did have political experience, I still don't think S. America could have unified; the landmass is just too large and the people are too diverse.
Bolivar didn't seem all that happy with such late freedom in Latin America. Jamaicans have been kept under the radar for so long that they don't know what they're doing once given the chance to rule themselves. It's utter chaos. They're simply too weak. Bolivar looks to Washington and such, including Liberal views, in the North to create a more united Latin America, but it proves unsuccessful, even today.
Bolivar feels as if South America is ungovernable. The people who would rule don't have the experience and knowledge of those who rule in Europe. The opportunities for people in Latin America have been hindered and limited to jobs such as farming and mining. Bolivar also talks about how they are young in science yet old in civilized ways. This implies that society hasn't changed much. One major class of people who control society and dominantly patriarchal. He also mentions how the the people of the state are enslaved because their constitution and government. The misuse of the constitution and disagreements of political views probably led to Bolivar's statement of South America being ungovernable. The new nations found it hard to form stable republican governments due to their lack in knowledge of politics and small opportunities of worldly affairs (such as they were rarely ever priests nor merchants.)
Bolivar believes that the ties between Spain and the Americas must be severed. He says that the hate that Spain inspired in them is to great to deal with now. He has taken the abuse for to long now and feels that it is necessary to break away. He realizes that although they are born American, they still have the Spanish instinctions that they have always had. These Spanish characteristics are used to exploit the native but also defend themselves from any invaders, such as Spain. He does not know the path that American politics are going to follow because most of the people are in a social class lower than slaves. Therefore, there is no prior experience. He also differentiates the "new species" between Europeans and Indians which also complicates the governing process.
Through Bolivars words you can see that he wanted to be like other societies. He wanted a society like the satraps of Persia. You can see the ideas of the enlightenment with them wanting liberty and justice.
I think that Bolivar had great intentions on trying to unit South America but it makes me wonder what today would be like if he had been able to follow through in his plans?
South America is too big for a unificiation because of its difference and uniqueness. as it is hard to mix 7 race into one clique, not many people wanted to be united as one. Political instability was also a problem becuase they did not have many legimimate leaders.
why did bolivar want this? what was the benefit of unification?
He's trying to get their spirits up, getting them fired up. It's very American-like and radical. OF course he is though, because of his private tutor he had that inspired Bolivar to be who he was.
Bolivar had many big dreams for Latin America and it kinda makes you wonder what it would be like today if he was successful.But he seems to be a bit pessimisstic when he says things like "i cannot persuade myself that the new world can, at the moment, be organized as a great republic. Since it is impossible i dare not desire it."
i remember mr. prill saying that bolivar didn't think that the south americans were able to handle themselves. it's almost like: independence is great, until you fall on your face because no one knows what they're doing. they development and social classes of south america differed greatly from the situations in north america, and so reform and unity did not come as easily for the south americans because they each had different nationalistic views and loyalties. it also shows that he finds flaws in the state system and that he doesn't want a divided 'united states of south america' rather, one big cooperating region. but the south american colonies had independence forced upon them before, i think, they were ready to handle it. the colonies were still in their developing stages and still independent, so they retained a strong sense of nationalism that divided them and killed the hopes of a united states of south america.
As a new country and the start of the enlightenment it was time for change in latin america like in europa, with Bolívar ideas of independence from spanish rule to make themselfs a new government with thiers concern freedom.
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