My mid-term questions for Independence of Latin America

[astabooty]

My mid-term is next Friday. Today my professor gave the class 12 questions, 3 of which will be on the mid-term. We are going to have to about 15mins to write about each.

I would like for you guys to help me out. I am not asking for anyone to do my work for me. I am going to list what I already think is needed to prove I am doing the work, then just hoping you all could add points to make if I missed any.

1) Marquis de Pombal
2) Charles/Carlos III
3) Mercantlism
4) War of Spanish Succession
5) Methuen Treaty of 1703
6) Atlantic Slave Trade
7) Simon Bolivar
8) Exile of the Court
9) Oporto Revolt of 1820
10) Cabildo Revolts of 1810
11) Miguel Hidalgo
12) Saint Domingue Revolution.

[astabooty]

I need to review my notes and other sources over the weekend, but off the top of my head, here is what I think should be noted:

1) Pombal's upbringing and education, diplomatic experience in Vienna and London, his marriage which gave him a connection to the Austrian Habsburgs, his study of mercantlism and English economic theory in London, how he rose to power under Jose I in 1775 (also how he was in control of what Jose did to a point), attacks on the aristocracy and Jesuits, his importation of a modified version of the Enlightment/educational reforms, regalism, investing in Amazonia/Brazil, contraband routes to Potoci, monopoly companies in Brazil, increase in African slaves in Brazil, how Pombal used the attempted assassination of the King to prosecute the aristocrats, moving the capital of Brazil, unification of the two states of Brazil, moving whites/portuguese to Brazil,.

[dsk_oz]

Hmm, no Jose de San Martin?

It kind or irks me that he's never acknowledged by people who claim to know latin american history (or at least the independence period).

How can a guy who single-handedly managed to raise an army in an isolated province, crossed the Alps, and liberated both Chile and Peru (then the centre of spanish rule in S. America).

To put his feats into perspective, note that he wasn't ever given any aid by the Argentinian goverment when raising his army but managed to get by on donations by the populace of Mendoza (eg. women donating their jewelry, church bells cast into cannons, etc).

His crossing of the Andes definitely ranks higher than Hannibal's similar feat due to the higher altitudes involved, as the Andes are much higher than the Alps (6000+ vs 3000+ meters) and the generally more rugged nature of the passes due to the lack of significant cross-Andes trade (IIRC).

He managed to free Chile after a series of battles (3 IIRC), managed to obtain. With Chile's aid he built a fleet and managed a multi-pronged attack all along the Peruvian coast, driving the spanish inland. To put this feat into perspective, the Argentinian army had been attempting to reach Peru overland through Bolivia, then known as Alto Peru (upper Peru) but hadn't managed significant progress despite numerous battles. San Martin himself had been commander of these armies for some time but decided that it wasn't productive to attack Alto Peru while Peru itself (the centre of spanish administration) wasn't threatened. Thus he deliberately sought and gained the governorship of Mendoza (just across from Chile) and was successful in his plan.

After the freeing of Peru he was made president (or supreme commander to be more accurate) by popular acclaim. Around this time Bolivar was finally successful in his attempts to free Colombia/Venezuela and managed to also free Ecuador.

It was at this time that they had their secret meeting. Nobody knows what was said and neither recorded what went on, but after that meeting San Martin resigned from public office in Peru, and returned to Argentina. It's widely speculated that he did this to avoid war with Bolivar.

He eventually left Argentina dissatisfied with the politics and lived in europe for a while. At one point he came back to Argentina, which was in the middle of political turmoil .. didn't disembard and went straight back to europe, where he lived to the end of his days. He was offered the presidency of Argentina, but declined. IIRC this was when he came back from Peru and before the first time he left for europe.

Truly someone who doesn't get the merit he deserves. The mantle of liberator of South America rightly belongs to him by fair standard, yet people mistakenly give that title to Bolivar ..

If San Martin doesn't get recognition, it's because he wasn't a powerhungry egomaniac, which is a right shame.