Simon Bolivar

Simon Bolivar was "El Liberador" of South America, fighting to free the Spanish colonies for Venezuela, Columbia, Equador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish colonial rule. While he was a great leader and hero of many people in South America, he did not have faith in his people's ability to support a representative-style democracy, and so he formed governments which were called republics, but in which he had essentially dictatorial powers.

Essay Assignment

Simon Bolivar said, “As long as our countrymen do not acquire the abilities and political virtues that distinguish our brothers of the north, wholly popular systems, far from working to our advantage, will, I greatly fear, bring about our downfall. Unfortunately, these traits, to the degree in which they are required, do not appear to be within our reach.”

What virtues, talents, and abilities are required in a free people?

Document

After failing in his first attempt to free Venezuela, he fled to Jamaica, where he wrote a famous letter which fairly accurately predicted what would happen in the future of the Spanish colonies. (This document is very highly recommended reading.)

Links

I read a couple books on Simon Bolivar, one online, and one in print, but I wasn't impressed enough to recommend them. I'm sure a great many books of similar quality exist.

The Biography Book recommends Simon Bolivar by Gerhard Masur and Bolivar by Donald E. Worcester.

Message to the Congress of Angostura, 1819 is another good source document. (and short too)