Week 8

Latin American Independence

The Latin American Independence (1807-1824), is a political and military movement that ended colonial rule by Spain and Portugal over Mexico, Central America, and South America and gave birth to the modern independent nations of Latin America. When the independence movement began in the 19^th century it contained two colonial empires, the Spanish and the Portuguese. Spain’s colonies stretched from what is now the western United States and Mexico to Argentina, while Portugal’s empire was in Brazil. Under the system of colonialism, these territories were subject to extensive and complex networks of control by Spain and Portugal. Both empires functioned well for three centuries until the mid-1700s when grievances developed with the colonist, who complained about economic restrictions and tax burdens. The colonist also resented European-born residents that were favored for important bureaucratic and administrative positions.

I choose this topic because I have always wanted to learn more about how the Latin American became independent. I have heard bits and pieces of it but it really never stuck to me, so I decided to research it myself and The Age of Enlightment explains a big part of it. The three facts of are:

1) The Age of Enlightment is a term used to describe the trends in Europe and the American colonies during the 18th century prior to the French Revolution (1789-1799). This phrase was used because the people were convinced that they were emerging from centuries of darkness and ignorance into a new age enlightened by reason, science, and a respect for humanity. This period is also often referred to as the Age of Reason.

2) The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the French Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and the Polish-Lithuanian Constitution of May 3, 1791 was motivated by the Enlightment principles.

3) The single most influential and representative of the French writers was Voltaire. Though it was in Paris that Denis Diderot, the author of numerous philosophical tracts, began the publication of the Encyclopédie (1751-1772). This work, on which numerous philosophes collaborated, was intended both as a compendium of all knowledge and as a polemical weapon, presenting the positions of the Enlightenment and attacking its opponents. Philosophes was a group that promoted the advancement of science and supported the new tolerance of open-mindedness of the Enlightment.

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4cAQ5T8dmg&feature=related

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761571679/Age_of_Enlightenment.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761588450/Latin_American_Independence.html

I choose these sources because for one the encyclopedia usually is reliable and for the others because most of the information I read were similar, so I decided to trust it.

Class Reviews:

1) Antonio said what attracted him to his museum was the health exhibition and that was the first place he went.

2) Daniel said what caught his eye was the Spider Silk Golden Cloth Exhibit. An item that took 4 years, over 80 people, and one million Madagascar spiders to create.

3) Sophia said that the location that attracted her was That Men Seldom Make Passes at Women With Glasses. It is a ten by fifteen foot mural of Marilyn Monroe with two collages/sunglasses with silvery blue-green frames. The sunglasses are composed of images of football players.

4) Dinlaka said what caught her eye was a photo of a lynched man being hung from a tree.

5) Catherine said that she chose her museum because she loves learning about plants and am interested in sustainable agriculture.

6) Judy said that one piece that she liked from this museum was an oil on canvas piece called Report from Rockport by Stuart Davis. This was one of Davis’ most important canvases because it was the first in which he utilized his color-space theory.

7) Mario said that he learned a lot about the military and that in the future we will be using machines to seek out the enemies. Also that what caught his was the Laser-Guided Bombs.

8) Valerie said that the one exhibit that attracted her to the museum was the odd architectural/sculpture exhibit called the P wall. Also that she chose this museum because she didn't know very much about modern art, and is interested to see what kind of new perspective she can gain from seeing art made by artists that are not only influenced by ancient art, but today's culture as well.

9) Megan decided to visit her museum because she has always been fascinated by glass art, and the skill and talent that goes into making such beautiful pieces. She wanted to get a better understanding of some of the techniques they use to make their glass, and how they incorporate the vivid colors that I love so much.

10) Kyle was attracted to the Battleship Oregan Exhibit that played an important role in the Spanish American War. It was made in San Francisco and was nicknamed the Bulldog because of its large foaming bow wake the resembled a bone in the teeth of a dog.