Question

how were the Latin American Revolutions similar to AND different from the American and/or French Revolutions?

Answer 1

The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in 18th-century Europe that criticized the sovereign rule of kings and promoted human reason. This movement, along with economic and political unrest within France, caused both the nobility and peasantry to revolt, ending centuries of feudal rule and giving rise to a national assembly. The revolution of 1789 produced turmoil in the years that followed, but it forever changed how the country was governed.


When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and Portugal in the early 19th century, the colonies established by those countries throughout the Americas worried they might be next. Yet Bonaparte's invasion weakened the imperial authority governing the colonies, giving their inhabitants an opportunity to fight for independence. It took nearly 25 years for all the colonies gain independence and put an end to imperial rule. This success was in large part due to the leadership of Simón Bolívar who, at a young age, was influenced and motivated by the Enlightenment's ideas.