Don Simon Bolivar Letter Summary

Don Simon Bolivar wrote a letter, which is known as La Carta de Jamaica, to an uncertain person but many believe it was the English Governor of Jamaica. The letter was dated September 6, 1815 and confirmed the revolutionary figure’s commitment and determination to rid latin American from the bonds of the Spanish Empire. Throughout his letter, Bolivar criticized spanish colonialism and called for unification and opposition against foreign rule. This was before Argentina, Chile, and Peru were liberated from the Spanish Conquistadores. However, Simon Bolivar was able to free his home country Venezuela from the Spaniards in 1811, but he knew that there was more he can do to help the other countries under Spanish rule. However, Bolivar also understood that uniting such countries could be difficult for many reaso, but th most difficult obstacle Bolivar had to overcome the fact he had been exiled. Banished, yet determined,

Simon Bolivar emerged as the leader of the revitalized LAtin American Movement. A Movement that in the succeeding years would liberate close to a dozen countries from the Rule of the Spanish Empire. Spanish colonization and imperialism had taken a major blow, all thanks to the military and political leadership of Bolivar whom which would earn the nickname “The Liberator” for his efforts. The Carta de Jamaica was heavily instrumental in outlining the revolutionary plans Bolivar had for Latin America.
Throughout the beginning of the letter, Bolivar stated his beliefs about the Spaniard reign over the Latin American countries. He writes, “Success will crown our efforts, because the destiny of America has been irrevocably decided; the tie that bound her to Spain has been severed” (A Letter by Simón Bolívar). Bolivar truly had hope that Latin America would be completely free from the “unnatural stepmother-Spain” (A Letter by Simón Bolívar). As Bolivar continues to write, he mentions the different Latin American countries that were going up against Spain. For example, Chile is determined and willing to sacrifice many people to get their independence. Bolivar had no doubt that Mexico will maintain its freedom because the people of Mexico demonstrated why they were in battle. Even though some countries were willing to fight, there were a few countries that did not show their spirit of gaining liberty yet. Bolivar questioned if Puerto Rico and Cuba were being “maltreated” or they “desire a better life” (A Letter by Simón Bolívar). Bolivar however, believed that all countries deserved to taste the sweet nectar of freedom, not ruled by a foreign oppressor. Bolivar’s ultimate goal was to expel the Spanish Royalist army from Latin American completely and to promote Pan-Americanism, the unification of the American countries. Bolivars beliefs in freedom and unification were highly influential and gave rise to the ideas that which he presented in his writings.
Bolivar cites in his paper that as the Spaniards were patrolling the American land, they were wasting money, resources and people’s blood and to maintain the control over the Latin American countries. “Europe could do Spain a service by dissuading her from her rash obstinacy, thereby at least sparing her the costs she is incurring and the blood she is expending. And if she will fix her attention on her own precincts she can build her prosperity and power upon more solid foundations than doubtful conquests, precarious commerce, and forceful exactions from remote and powerful peoples” (A Letter by Simón Bolívar). The Spanish were in battles where it was not certain if they would make it through successfully. Even if Spain won, their loss of soldiers would have hurt their chances of keeping the power over the resilient Latin American forces. It is for these reasons that were severely detrimental to the Spanish Royalist Army. MAny command were coming from an ocean away and thus communication was not as efficient anf effective as that of the revolutionary forces. The widespread colonialism proved tobe a major weakness of the Spanish forces and Bolivar highlighted such facts, ultimately enabling him to develop a plan to rid the Spanish Royalist forces out of LAtin American. This plan consisted of series of conquest in a linear manner, that being Bolivar moved from country to country throughout the northern region of south America, defeating the forces one county at a time.
Simon Bolivar envisioned that Latin America would face struggles even after winning their independence.

According to his letter, the countries would encounter political challenges, as in not having a government at all. Furthermore, as Bolivar outlines in his letter, he was fearful of the political stability in the newly freed countries. Bolivar’s hesitance stemmed for many reasons one of them being the potential that war may have which may cause the country’s political system to be divided by ethnicity, of which he felt would lead to an unsuccessful government. Bolivar encouraged the citizen of countries that he liberated in his letter to “not adopt the best system, but the one most likely to succeed” (). Therefore, Bolivar felt that although theoretically some systems were more morally correct and should be striven for, such system may not have been probable nor efficient at the time and thus the citizen should accept a system that is successful as long as they are free of foreign rule and are finally member of an local autonomous

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Ultimately, Bolivar’s future plans for LAtin America referring to the unification of the Americas and the expulsion of the Spanish Royalist forces was successful. At the conclusion of his military and political dominance, Bolivar had liberated six countries….. Earning him the nickname The Liberator” Furthermore, Bolivars beliefs in freedom from foreign oppression and rule as highlighted in Carta de Jamaica were conserved at he rose to Latin American divinity. Bolivar’s pursuits of freedom earned him eternal remembrance. In conclusion, Bolivar’s complete ideology are contained in the statement:
I shall tell you with what we must provide ourselves in order to expel the Spaniards and to found a free government. It is union, obviously; but such union will come about through sensible planning and well-directed actions rather than by divine magic. America stands together because it is abandoned by all other nations. It is isolated in the center of the world. It has no diplomatic relations, nor does it receive any military assistance; instead, America is attacked by Spain, which has more military supplies than any we can possibly acquire through furtive means.
The Americas deserved to be autonomous, deciders of their own fate and political representation. Throughout history, foreign occupation has caused significant issues. How can a foreign land effectively govern an ocean away. How can a foreign power relate to the needs of a culture and people so dissimilar. The answer is that no foreign power can effectively preside over a group of people so different from themselves and the only way that the expansive and powerful Spanish Empire was going to relinquish its control of the Americas was if they had it taken from them Bolivar identified such stubbornness and through his writings planned the sequence and ideas for the countries that which were fortunate enough to receive their independence. Bolivar highlights, the Spanish forces may possess significantly more resources than the revolutionary militias in LAtin America but ultimately a unification against the Spanish Empire of which can be achieved by identifying that all countries possessed one common goal. Liberation. Freedom as not going to be handed to the LAtin AMerican citizens instead, the only way such freedom was were to be achieved was through careful meticulous plans and actions. Bolivar's letter directly influenced the LAtin AMerican independence movement and as a result may be one of the most important documents relating to Pan-Americanism and the liberation of numerous countries.

Works Cited

"A Letter by Simón Bolívar." Reply of a South American to a Gentleman of This Island
[Jamaica]. Trans. Lewis Bertrand. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.