Simon Bolivar's Letter To Venezuela
The main idea of this letter was to explain to the English government of how inhabitants of South America are mistreated by Europeans; more specifically the Spaniards. He wants to improve Latin America’s government but claims it may be impossible therefore, asking for help. Also that, people in Gran Colombia such as, those living in Venezuela, do not obtain political rights; not even the nobles. He says that they are so limited that they are prohibited to store crops because they are “royal monopolies”. Simon Bolivar wrote, “I cannot persuade myself that the New World can, at the moment, be organized as a great republic,” meaning he wants to be inspired and helped by the English government to improve the American countries social structures.
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This valued document was written by Simon Bolivar.
He is known as, “The Liberator” of Gran Columbia or the one who declared northern south america’s independence. Gran Colombia was a title given to the modern countries, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, and Panama which was his ideal unity of Latin America. He was originally born in Venezuela and at a young age, was influenced by the Age of Enlightenment. After several tragic events in his life, he sworn to achieve the independence of venezuela from Spain’s authority. This eventually lead him to write this letter to accomplish his mission. This letter is biased because Bolivar was born in Venezuela, which was his home country, meaning he wanted the best for it; if he would not have been from there, then his motivation would not have been so high, nor would the letter emphasis how much they were being mistreated by foreigners. If this were to be written by a Spanish man on witnessing how conditions where in Gran Colombia he would not have explained how harshly people lived, but try to go around that topic. Bolivar cared for his country, that is why he tried to help it; the letter is
biased.
This letter was written in 1815 in Jamaica. Simon Bolivar exiled to think about strategies and to examine the counter revolutionists successful attacks. The French Revolution had just recently occurred influencing him to take actions a fight for his own rights and his own government. Napoleon Bonaparte was ruling France at this time trying to be emperor of all of Europe. Bonaparte was attacking Spaniards as well. This was an advantage for Bolivar to gain the independence of Latin America, while the Spanish were kept busy, trying to defend their home country. Other Spanish colonial territories such as Mexico and Chile were also revolting for their independence. Bolivar recognized how occupied the Spaniards were and decided to benefit from this situation where he asked for help to gain civil rights for Southern American countries. He wanted to reach his goal whether he did it alone or with assistance.
The purpose of the, Letter to Jamaica was to question the English government, if they were willing to help free Gran Colombia and to persuade them to achieve independence for they suffered greatly. He did so by listing the negative situations that one would suffer under the Spanish rule. For instance, Simon Bolivar pleaded for help as he stated, “very few enslaved nations have recovered their liberty.” He as well described how “Americans today [...] who live within the Spanish system occupy a position in society no better than that of serfs destined for labor.” Not only did he state that but that they worked significantly hard to only find that the Spaniards were dissatisfied with their work, “simply the cultivation of the fields of indigo, grain, coffee, sugar cane, cacao, and cotton; cattle raising on the broad plains; hunting wild game in the jungles; digging in the earth to mine its gold — but even these limitations could never satisfy the greed of Spain.” He compared their living so harshly to attract and persuade the English of the desperate help they needed, to be treated equally. His purpose did work for a good time period. He was able to gain Gran Colombia's independence which is where he got his nickname, “The Liberator” and he even became President of this new republican region.
The hidden message is that that Simon Bolivar wanted to gain Gran Colombia independence. He meant this when he wrote, “South Americans have made efforts to obtain liberal, [...] to the greatest possible happiness, which, common to all men, is bound to follow in civil societies founded on the principles of justice, liberty, and equality” Bolivar wanted to give the same opportunities to the Latin American Countries just like other countries had achieved like the United States and Haiti. He wanted to do this because he saw how most people suffered in the country and how unfair the Europeans were. Most of the populations were made up of forced laborers and slaves that worked in the plantations. Nobody was allowed to serve in government, were forced to work, received little pay,and obtained no civil rights at all. Bolivar informed in his letter that they were “threatened with the fear of death, dishonor, and every harm” and explained, “there is nothing we have not suffered at the hands of that unnatural stepmother — Spain.” Simon Bolivar wanted to stop the injustice.
A similar situation was when Toussaint L’Ouverture fought for the independence of Haiti. L’Ouverture wanted to fight Haiti’s independence from the French just like Bolivar for Gran Columbia from the Spaniards. They were both involved in revolutionary movements where they both got help. Toussaint L’Ouverture from slaves and Simon Bolivar from the English. In addition to that, they were both successful in reaching independence for their birth country; they were full with nationalism.
This valued document was written by Simon Bolivar.
He is known as, “The Liberator” of Gran Columbia or the one who declared northern south america’s independence. Gran Colombia was a title given to the modern countries, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, and Panama which was his ideal unity of Latin America. He was originally born in Venezuela and at a young age, was influenced by the Age of Enlightenment. After several tragic events in his life, he sworn to achieve the independence of venezuela from Spain’s authority. This eventually lead him to write this letter to accomplish his mission. This letter is biased because Bolivar was born in Venezuela, which was his home country, meaning he wanted the best for it; if he would not have been from there, then his motivation would not have been so high, nor would the letter emphasis how much they were being mistreated by foreigners. If this were to be written by a Spanish man on witnessing how conditions where in Gran Colombia he would not have explained how harshly people lived, but try to go around that topic. Bolivar cared for his country, that is why he tried to help it; the letter is
biased.
This letter was written in 1815 in Jamaica. Simon Bolivar exiled to think about strategies and to examine the counter revolutionists successful attacks. The French Revolution had just recently occurred influencing him to take actions a fight for his own rights and his own government. Napoleon Bonaparte was ruling France at this time trying to be emperor of all of Europe. Bonaparte was attacking Spaniards as well. This was an advantage for Bolivar to gain the independence of Latin America, while the Spanish were kept busy, trying to defend their home country. Other Spanish colonial territories such as Mexico and Chile were also revolting for their independence. Bolivar recognized how occupied the Spaniards were and decided to benefit from this situation where he asked for help to gain civil rights for Southern American countries. He wanted to reach his goal whether he did it alone or with assistance.
The purpose of the, Letter to Jamaica was to question the English government, if they were willing to help free Gran Colombia and to persuade them to achieve independence for they suffered greatly. He did so by listing the negative situations that one would suffer under the Spanish rule. For instance, Simon Bolivar pleaded for help as he stated, “very few enslaved nations have recovered their liberty.” He as well described how “Americans today [...] who live within the Spanish system occupy a position in society no better than that of serfs destined for labor.” Not only did he state that but that they worked significantly hard to only find that the Spaniards were dissatisfied with their work, “simply the cultivation of the fields of indigo, grain, coffee, sugar cane, cacao, and cotton; cattle raising on the broad plains; hunting wild game in the jungles; digging in the earth to mine its gold — but even these limitations could never satisfy the greed of Spain.” He compared their living so harshly to attract and persuade the English of the desperate help they needed, to be treated equally. His purpose did work for a good time period. He was able to gain Gran Colombia's independence which is where he got his nickname, “The Liberator” and he even became President of this new republican region.
The hidden message is that that Simon Bolivar wanted to gain Gran Colombia independence. He meant this when he wrote, “South Americans have made efforts to obtain liberal, [...] to the greatest possible happiness, which, common to all men, is bound to follow in civil societies founded on the principles of justice, liberty, and equality” Bolivar wanted to give the same opportunities to the Latin American Countries just like other countries had achieved like the United States and Haiti. He wanted to do this because he saw how most people suffered in the country and how unfair the Europeans were. Most of the populations were made up of forced laborers and slaves that worked in the plantations. Nobody was allowed to serve in government, were forced to work, received little pay,and obtained no civil rights at all. Bolivar informed in his letter that they were “threatened with the fear of death, dishonor, and every harm” and explained, “there is nothing we have not suffered at the hands of that unnatural stepmother — Spain.” Simon Bolivar wanted to stop the injustice.
A similar situation was when Toussaint L’Ouverture fought for the independence of Haiti. L’Ouverture wanted to fight Haiti’s independence from the French just like Bolivar for Gran Columbia from the Spaniards. They were both involved in revolutionary movements where they both got help. Toussaint L’Ouverture from slaves and Simon Bolivar from the English. In addition to that, they were both successful in reaching independence for their birth country; they were full with nationalism.