Summary Of Simon Bolivar A Life

Simón Bolívar: A Life by John Lynch chronicles the life of the famous revolutionary Simón Bolívar, often known as “El Libertador”. The book begins by documenting Bolívar’s beginnings growing up in Venezuela. The book gives readers a relatable, intimate view of Bolívar’s early life, talking about his family, friends, and the neighborhood he grew up in. The importance of racial makeup and class status would be crucial in Bolívar’s upbringing, him being part of the wealthy mantuanos. His wealthy, land and slave owning status would be the key to him receiving a high level of education that would help shape his beliefs. The book goes into Bolívar’s time living in Paris, which would lead to his intellectual awakening. During this period in his life, …show more content…
For a time, he conformed to the typical Creole colonial way of life, all the while being keenly observant of the many injustices and issues taking place within the colonies, both social and economic. After Napoleon’s invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 1808, Spanish Americans found themselves questioning their political legitimacy and whom they should …show more content…
He was able to rally large groups of loyal followers. His first major statement outlining his developing political ideas would come to be known as the "Cartagena Manifesto". He expressed his belief in the necessity for "unity and centralization" and that popular elections "allowed the ignorant and the ambitious to have their say and placed government in the hands of inept and immoral men who introduced the spirit of faction.” His disdain for royalists was extraordinarily clear and he exclaimed that it would take an enormous amount of force to defeat them. He sought to bring about the strength, passion and dedication that he believed it would take to create unification. His efforts would result in the creation of a Venezuelan second republic, but unfortunately civil war would break out there and he would seek safety in Jamaica. While in the Jamaica, he wrote what would end up being his famous "Jamaican Letter" to his friend Mr. Henry Cullen. In this letter, he laments his previous failures and writes excitedly about his goals for the future. He expressed in this letters his beliefs that all people had natural rights granted by God and nature, and among these rights were the right to resist oppression. He wrote about the inequalities and lack of economic opportunities for Americans due to Spain 's insistence that the colonies could not compete with Spain and "supply