By the 19th century, the Latin American territories had attained independence from their colonial powers. This resulted in the f
ragmentation of the Spanish colonies, whereas those of Portugal (Brazil) remained intact. Study the Latin America, 1830 map. The dates on the map legend reflect the date that a given country achieved independence. Which of these countries was the first to achieve independence?
The first Latin American country to obtain independence was Haiti in 1804.
Explanation:
The Haitian Revolution started in 1791, mostly motivated by the tyranny and arbitrary exploration of the French colonial system. French ruled Haiti since the 16th century when Hispaniola, as it was named by the Spanish, fell under the domain of French corsairs and became by the Treaty of Ryswich signed by Spain and France, Hispaniola was now a French colony. The slavery system imposed by the french was terrible and motivated many small revolts during this time. The French Revolution destabilised the colonies and opened doors to a local revolution in Haiti (or Sao Domingos, as french named). Anyway, the Haitians were led by Toussaint Louverture, who after a vicious war against France, obtain the independence of his country in 1804.
Jefferson was initially very enthusiastic about the French Revolution and was living in Paris serving as the US minister to France when it began. His friend from the American Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette, was equally eager to bring representative democracy to France.
