Peruvian Struggle for Independence
The nation now known as Peru has a long history, which begins before the arrival of the Europeans to the New World. The geography of the land, as always, played a major role in the development of the new nation. The indigenous peoples molded their existence according to the land, and the conquistadors from Spain would have to deal with the often times treacherous terrain in many parts of Peru. Political upheaval and dissatisfaction would give way to a new form of rule in Peru, but the struggle would be long and bloody and often times uncertain of the direction in which the forming nation was to turn. The movement towards independence was not a cohesive movement but instead fragmented. How then did Peru come to be an independent nation?When discussing Peru one must discuss the unique geography within this nation's boundaries. The fourth largest country in size in Latin America, ranking after Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, Peru encompasses approximately one half million square miles of land. Within this vast stretch of real estate, Peru is divided into three regions; the Sierra, the Montaņa, and the Costa.1 Half of Peru's current population resides in the Sierra, which is also called the Andean Highlands. This region incl
This uprising, in 1780-81, was the first real threat to the Vice Regal government in Peru. Primer edicion fue publicado en 1940. What is known is that the ruling class, the Spaniards, did not want revolution. Furthermore, Bolivar desired a weaker Peruvian neighbor to the south of his own Grand Colombia. The Liberator quickly discovered why Lima had been vacated. A combined race war and social revolution attempt, Amaru desired a change in the economic situation among both the Indians and the Mestizos at the hands of the corrupt corregidores. In 1810 Goyeneche's army captured Murillo and executed him in a swift fashion. The harsh mountainous terrain made transportation through this area highly arduous, especially for armies or merchant types of travelers. The two Creoles conspiracy was discovered before the plan could be put into action and were hung in a Cuzco plaza in December of that year. This cruel terrain made it extremely costly to transport goods from the inland to the coast, in particular Lima, the location of the vice regal government. Furthermore, Amaru sought after the freedom of slaves, the end of the mita and the repartimiento. The high altitudes cause many foreigners to this region to become sick, with suroche2, due to the lack of oxygen; and have been fatal to some. Bullion paid for the imports from abroad and even from neighbors such as Chile. Duke University Press, Durham, NC and London; 1999.
Common topics in this essay:
Buenos Aires,
Rafael Carrera,
Cuzco Creoles,
Furthermore Amaru,
San Martin,
Creole Mestizo,
Andean Highlands,
Peru Political,
Crown Viceroyalty,
Costa Costa,
san martin,
santa cruz,
buenos aires,
upper peru,
la serna,
university press,
south america,
vice regal government,
amaru uprising,
climate region,
real threat,
movement towards independence,
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