<span>The Latin American Wars of Independence were the revolutions that took place during the late 18th and early 19th centuries and resulted in the creation of a number of independent countries in Latin America. In the late 18th century Enlightenment ideas spread to Latin America. The success of the American Revolution showed that foreign rule could be thrown off. The French Revolution showed that the people could overthrow an unjust monarchy. These two events inspired revolutions in Latin America, which had profound effects on the Spanish, Portuguese and French colonies in the Americas. The results were the end of the colonial rule that had lasted 300 years.</span>
