Race and Revolution in Latin America

 

Latin America has been a powerhouse of revolution since it was first conquered by European powers.  The first of these revolutions took place on a small French island named Saint Domingue.  The revolution on this tiny sugar island of Haiti lit the spark of every other major Revolution in the Western Hemisphere.  The main reason that the Haitian Revolution began, and also its reason for success was do to perception of race. 

Haiti was an island of slaves.  Its main exports, sugar and coffee accounted for the majority of European intake of such luxuries, and almost all work was done by slaves.  The "Grand Blancs" or "Big Whites" were the wealthy French landowners that owned the workers, and their abusive nature and refusal to give the slaves basic rights is what caused the rebellion of the oppressed.

The key to the success of the slave rebellion were the races of the parties involved.  Because the Grand Blancs were visibly French, the Haitians new exactly who to kill, and because of their reputation as beasts of Africa, the slaves were highly underestimated.

The Iberian racial system was even more apparent.  After their conquest of the Americas was complete, the Spanish implemented as system known as Las Castas that separated all members of society by race, and which dealt with the individuals parents being the sole deciding factor.

When the Mexican rebellions first broke out, the Mestizos (Half Native, Half European) and Mulattoes (Half African, Half European) fought against the rich Spanish-born rulers of Mexico, also known as Peninsulaires.  The Mexican Revolution was only successful when the Creoles (whites who had been born in the colonies) revolted as well.

In the end, Race in Latin America was both a tool and a weapon, and wielded in the right hands it could be used for or against anyone, and this racial manipulation continues to be used in our world today.  Hopefully however, we don't have an entire Hemisphere rebelling against us.

Las Castas

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CastaSystemVirreinato.JPG