New Spain Research Paper

1130 Words5 Pages
In the early 1800’s, French occupation of Spain propelled Latin colonies into political turmoil. Mexico who was under Spanish oppressive rule for 300 years started to resent their colonial power. The success of French and American Revolutions and the birth of Enlightenment ideas greatly influenced their perception towards Spanish colonial power. Inspired by the enlightenment ideas of freedom, equality and democratic form of government, people started to revolt. The New Spain as it was called then wanted to get rid of old colonial masters and wanted gain freedom and control of their own land. A movement to gain their independence has sparked into violent and bloody battle for eleven years; it is a period of civil war that marked Mexican independence…show more content…
At the top are the peninsulares and creoles, they represent a small percentage of the population. These two groups controlled land, wealth, and power. Peninsulares are people who were born in Spain and were the only group who could work in the Spanish colonial government. Below the peninsulares are the creoles, they are Spaniards born in Mexico. Creoles could not hold a high political office however they could be officers in the Spanish colonial armies. Creolos were highly educated; they go to Europe for their education. In Europe they hear about Enlightenment ideas. When they come home they bring the ideas of freedom and equality for all. At the bottom of the social ladder were mestizos, mulattos and Indians. Mestizos come from Indian and European ancestry while mulattos are from African and European and ancestry. In 1808, Napoleon’s conquest of Spain triggered revolts. Napoleon’s removal of King Ferdinand VII and making his brother Joseph the new king sparked the beginning of the revolution. Creoles supported King Ferdinand; however they could not have loyalty to a king place by the French. The creoles were inspired by Locke’s idea of the consent of the governed, which is when a real king is removed; power should be transferred to the people. In 1810, the drive towards independence had begun; rebellion broke out in…show more content…
Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon built a fighting force that included Indians, peasants, and military officers. In June 1813 Morelos called for a national congress of representatives to discuss the future of Mexico if they become an independent nation. The major issues included were, the making of Roman Catholic as the official religion, end to slavery, end to a corrupt government, and an end to death punishment. Despite the initial success of Morelos forces, the colonial authorities were able to the siege back Mexico City. In 1815 Morelos was captured and killed. He led the revolution for four years; however in 1815 a creole officer, Agustin de Iturbe defeated
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