South American Independence 227
sway of Morillo and his powerful army. The Venezuelan
movement, which since the year 1811 was proclaiming
entire independence, was annihilated by the loyalist re-
action, proving once more the inefficiency of the Cabildos
and congresses in the leadership of emancipation. The
only place in which a patriotic government was able to
remain was Buenos Aires.
The provinces of the La Plata River proclaimed their
entire independence from Spain in the congress of Tucuman
in the year 1816.
The second period, under the influence of great person-
alities, had the advantage from the beginning of unified
action and clear aims. Two currents appear at this time
embodied in the representative heroes, Bolivar and San
Martin. The first achieved the independence of the north-
ern part of the continent, and established La Gran Co-
lombia, composed of Venezuela, Nueva Granada, and
Quito. The second had as a centre Cuyo, and established
the independence of Chile and proclaimed the inde-
pendence of Peru. In the moment in which these two
currents met in the central part of South America, emanci-
pation was completed. This meeting took place in the years
1822-24. Soldiers of the southern army contributed to the
triumph of Pichincha, and to the independence of Quito.
One year later, the principal part of the Colombian Army,
led by Bolivar, went to Peru, and destroyed the last rem-
nants of the Spanish-Colonial power in the famous battles
that we are commemorating.
The South-American revolution in the second period
fought against insuperable obstacles. Nature was then as
wild and as hostile as in the epoch of the conquest. It was
necessary to cross the Andes once in the southern part and
many times in the north, repeating the deeds of Hannibal