The political theory of the Latin American independence movement

Sarah Welsch

Abstract

This project explores the historical context from which four Latin American political theorists emerged in the 19th century and analyzes the extent to which they promoted the liberal ideal of equality in the governments they worked to establish. Mariano Moreno, José de San Martín, Simón Bolívar, and Agustín de Iturbide played central roles in the Latin American independence movement and the establishment of government institutions in the years that followed. I demonstrate that each theorist neglected to include large swaths of society in their discussions of equality while advocating for systems of governance from which they would personally benefit.