Napoleon Invades Iberia — Trigger for Colonial Independence
In 1808 Napoleon forced the abdication of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty—first Charles IV and then his son Ferdinand VII—and placed his own brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne. This destroyed the legitimacy of colonial rule in Spanish America: colonial loyalties were structured around the monarchy, and when the monarch was effectively a French prisoner, colonial elites faced a crisis of authority. Juntas formed across the Americas ostensibly to govern in Ferdinand VII's name, but these bodies became vehicles for Creole political autonomy and eventually independence. The Peninsular War also demonstrated that Spain was unable to project power overseas while fighting for its survival on home soil.
- Year: 1808 CE
- Category: Political
