Nationalism: Latin America Essay Example

over 2,000 soldiers on a daring march through the Andes and took the Spanish army in Bogota by surprise and won a decisive victory.

By 1921, Bolivar had won Venezuela’s independence. Bolivar was a brilliant Creole general, and that is just what was needed for the movement. Padre Miguel Hidalgo was a priest in a small village of Dolores. He was a poor but well-educated man. He deeply believed in Enlightenment ideals. In 1810, he rang the bells of the church to gather the peasants. He issued a call for rebellion against the Spanish. Hidalgo and his unruly army of 80,000 marched to Mexico City. The uprising of the lower class alarmed the Spanish army with fear of losing their property, control of the land, and their lives.

The army defeated Hidalgo in 1811. Hidalgo influenced the region by issuing a call for rebellion. Without him, the nationalist movement for this village may have not even started. In conclusion, individuals played huge roles in leading nationalist movements. Not only did this effect the nations, but also the people. Toussaint, Bolivar, and Hidalgo all believed in Enlightenment ideals. The Enlightenment ideas spread to Latin America from Europe. They followed the ideas of Voltaire, John Locke, and others. These leaders caused tremendous change and sparked revolutions throughout Latin America.