Simón Bolívar's leadership and legacy impacted South American history greatly because he contributed to the end of slavery, helped to make countries independent, and created Gran Columbia.
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar was born on July 24, 1783, in Caracas, Venezuela. His father died when he was very young, leaving only his mother to raise him. However, this did not last long, because his mother soon also died. As a result, Bolívar’s uncle, Esteban Palacios, took the responsibility of raising him. Esteban cared immensely about education, and hired Simón Rodríguez as Bolívar’s tutor. When exposed to different cultures, Bolívar was inspired. He was deeply affected by the political writings of the Frenchman Charles de Montesquieu and the Swiss Jean Jacques Rousseau(Bolívar, Simón (1783-1830)). Simply put, they believed that governments should guarantee the rights of everyone and that governments, when ruled by the majority, will seek out the common good in society. Bolívar traveled to Europe to study, and met Maria Teresa Rodríguez del Toro while in Madrid. They were married, and he returned to Caracas with Teresa. Unfortunately, she died six months later of yellow fever, a disease spread through infected mosquitoes. Bolívar was filled with sorrow, and vowed never to marry again. He traveled back to Europe, and learned to speak…show more content… He provided Bolívar with thousands of rifles, as well as ammunition, powder, and a printing press, which was a great method of communication before modern technology. One of the largest additions to this was the authority to recruit volunteers in Haiti. In late March 1816, Bolívar's army, consisting of eight ships, set sail. They quickly made it to Carupano. The next day Bolívar issued his first decree for the abolition of slavery, and the "absolute liberty of the slaves who have groaned beneath the Spanish yoke for the past three
