Spanish American wars of independence

The Spanish American wars of independence were a series of conflicts in which Spain's American colonies broke away from its rule. They were triggered by Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808 and the forced abdication of King Ferdinand VII, which created a crisis of authority and led to the formation of local juntas in the Americas. Leading figures included Simón Bolívar, who fought in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, José de San Martín in Argentina, Chile and Peru, and Miguel Hidalgo and José María Morelos in Mexico. The decisive battles included Boyacá, Carabobo and Ayacucho. Most of Spanish America became independent republics, though the large federations of Gran Colombia and Central America soon broke up, and Cuba and Puerto Rico remained Spanish until 1898.

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