When was simon bolivar

When he returned to Venezuela in , he saw a popular desire for independence after efforts to ignite the independence torch in by another patriotic Venezuelan general, Francisco de Miranda, in the form of an invasion of Spanish-controlled territories ended in failure. It was when Napoleon invaded Spain in and imprisoned King Ferdinand VII that the independence movement gained undeniable momentum. Bolivar rejected this partial independence and began a confidence-building tour in Europe, starting with Britain.

When he returned, patriots and royalists were still at odds. On July 5, , the First Venezuelan Republic voted for full independence. In , the independence movement suffered a severe blow when a magnitude 7. Spanish priests wasted no time in spreading religious propaganda, convincing a superstitious and naive population that the earthquake was divine retribution and poetic justice to punish the independence movement from Spain. Royalist Capt. Domingo Monteverde rallied the Spanish and royalist forces and captured important ports and the city of Valencia, causing the first republic to fall and the Spanish to regain control of Venezuela.

Bolivar was defeated and went into exile, only to come back in to modern-day Colombia in a bid to join the independence movement there.

He bravely fought the Spanish forces with men he was given, and his reputation as a liberator across the territories grew bigger and bigger. In , he was strong enough to recapture Venezuela. However, maintaining independence was not easy at a time when the Spanish colonizers still had military superiority. Bolivar went into exile again. Conquering the Spanish forces in the Highlands was more difficult however. They walked through waist high water for a week before climbing up into the Andes.

Many of them lost their lives due to the harsh weather conditions and many horses that had never left the plains were unable to cope with the terrain.

However as soon as they reached the Andean plateau local people supported the troops. The troops then won two battles. Could South American regional leaders achieved the domestic political goals of the American and French Revolutions?

Tyranny or Victory! Simon Bolivar's South American Revolt.