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Tenochtitlan was the massive capital city of the Aztec empire, built around 1325, and is now known as Mexico City.
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Christopher Columbus discovered the Western hemisphere, also known as the "New World," on one of his voyages across the sea.
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In 1519, Hernando Cortés landed on the coast of Mexico, and conquered the Aztecs.
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Haiti declares its independence, and becomes the second colony after the U.S. to be an independent nation.
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Britain attacked Buenos Aires twice in 1806 and 1807, using the alliance between spain and France as an excuse.
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The Bolivian War of Independence began in 1809 and Bolivia became an independent nation from ruler of Spain.
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In the city of Quito, Ecuador declares its independence from Spain.
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A declaration of independence was officially issued by Chile on February 12, 1818. It was formally recognized by Spain in 1840 when full diplomatic relations were established.
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Gran Colombia is born, with Bolivar as president. It consists of Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
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In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain under Agustín de Iturbide, who proclaimed himself emperor in 1822.
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At Carabobo Bolívar's forces decisively defeated Spanish and colonial forces, winning Venezuelan independence.
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The Ecuadorian War of Independence ended with the defeat of the Spanish forces at the Battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822.
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Venezuela was part of Gran Colombia until 1830, when a rebellion led by José Antonio Páez allowed the proclamation of a new Republic of Venezuela.
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Santa Anna becomes President for the first of eleven times. He was known as a hero and a villain.
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This forces the disintegration of the union between Peru and Bolivia. It ends the career of Bolivia's dictator Santa Cruz and allows Agustin Gamarra to seize power in Peru.
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In 1848, the Brazilian slave trade was growing rapidly. At this point, numbers could reach as much as 60,000 slaves per year.
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General José Hilario López was elected as president in 1849 for Colombia. Capitalism began to replace the old structure. Around 1851 the López administration instituted a so-called agrarian reform program and abolished slavery.
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An assembly met in San Miguel de Tucumán and declared full independence with provisions for a national constitution.
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This war was between the United States of Colombia (today Colombia and Panama) and the Republic of Ecuador. Occasional border disputes as well as occasional attempts to recreate Greater Colombia caused tensions which led to war. At the end of 1863, they agreed to an armistice. The Treaty of Pinsaqui, signed December 30, had the two sides agreed to a return to the pre-war status quo and the war ends with a Columbian victory.
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In 1879 gold was discovered in Guyana. This increased British expansion toward the Orinoco delta and resulted in the Venezuela Boundary Dispute.
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Slavery in Brazil was legally ended throughout the nation on May 13th by the “Lei Aurea” (“Golden Law”) of 1888. It was a legal act of Princess Isabel of Brazil. Brazil was the last nation in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery.
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Vicente Fox is elected president of Mexico.
