Simon Bolivar and Latin American Revolutions

Simon Bolivar, born in Caracas, Venezuela on July 24,1783, was a South American general. He was actually considered one of South America's greatest generals. When he was young, he was sent to Europe to go to school in Spain. Soon after, he returned to Venezuela and got married. Unfortunately, though, his wife died shortly after their wedding. Bolivar went back to Europe and then traveled to United States, which had just won its independence from Great Britain. When Bolivar went back to Venezuela, he decided that it was time for his country to be independent from Spain.

In 1810, Bolivar joined a group of men that captured Caracas and the announcement of independence from Spain was made later on. But, Spain did not want to give up the land so they attacked Bolivar and his men, resulting in one of his men surrendering. Bolivar traveled to New Granada, which is the country Colombia today, and wrote Cartagena Manifesto. In Cartagena Manifesto, Bolivar said that New Granada should help him in his quest for Venezuela's independence because they both want the same thing and Venezuela's freedom would protect the freedom of New Granada. After receiving help from New Granada, Bolivar invaded Venezuela in 1813.

Bolivar was forced to go back to New Granada by the Spaniards. In 1815, Bolivar traveled to Haiti and managed to convince their president to help him on his quest. A couple of years later Bolivar went back to South America to continue his quest. Bolivar and his army won the Battle of Boyaca in 1819 and in that same year he created the Angostura Congress, which founded Gran Colombia, and Bolivar was named president. After another battle in 1822, northern South America was finally liberated. But, that was only the northern part. Bolivar and his army then prepared to march through the Andes Mountains to liberate Peru. In 1823, Bolivar was given the role to invade Peru and soon after he was given the role he arrive in Lima to plan the attack.

Finally, in 1824, Bolivar and his army defeated the Spanish army in a few more battles to finally remove the Spaniards from South America. The Republic of Bolivia was created in the Congress of Upper Peru in honor of Bolivar, since Peru had become a separate state. Without Bolivar's determination and perseverance, Bolivia might have never existed. He wanted to defeat the Spanish and gain independence from Spain and he did.