Latin America fought for its independence from the European colonial powers of Spain, Portugal and France some 200 years ago. From the slave revolution in Haiti to the protracted wars of independence in Spanish America to the bloodless emancipation of Brazil, this volume tells the story of Latin America at a pivotal turning point in its Atlantic interdependence. Chronologically structured, it describes political upheavals and decisive military battles on the continent as well as the authoritative leaders such as Toussaint, Miranda, and Bolivar with their adventurous and unusual life stories. The founding of the states, which lasted until the middle of the 19th century, was unified by anti-colonial resistance, but the exclusion of broad social and ethnic strata, the rise of Caudillism and education.