ABSTRACT
The dissolution of the Iberian empires originated in the external shocks that emanated from the Napoleonic wars in Europe. The Bourbons were thus unable to follow the Portuguese example of defending the dynasty by moving to American territory, and, unlike the Braganza Prince Joao who kept his throne and ruled the Portuguese empire from Brazil, the Bourbon King Fernando VII lost his throne, was forced into exile in France, and saw his authority pass into other hands. The Cortes sought to defend the monarchy by reform, turning the old regime into a constitutional monarchy where the king shared power with the people, parliament prescribed laws and shaped policy, and the American colonies became equal parts of the “Spanish Nation” represented in the parliament. The primary divide was between those who remained loyal to Spain’s government and those who supported the American juntas’ claims to sovereignty, and their opposition produced a series of fissures both within and between Spain’s principal colonies.
