Latin America gained independence from Spain in the early 19th century through armed rebellions and revolutionary movements led by key figures. Spain had conquered and colonized most of Latin America starting in the 16th century, establishing a class system that exploited native and African populations. Toussaint L'Ouverture led a successful slave rebellion in Haiti in the 1790s that resulted in its independence from France in 1804, making it the first Latin American nation to do so. Simón Bolívar liberated most of northern South America from Spanish rule in the 1810s and 1820s. Miguel Hidalgo initiated Mexico's independence movement with his 1810 "Cry of Dolores," though the country would not

1. Latin America’s Independence Movement Unit 8 Notes