How did the ideas of Rousseau influence Simon Bolivar?

Answer 1

I don't think it's a good plan to compare Bolivar to Washington. Bolivar was pretty crazy and his armies carried out huge numbers of massacres of his enemies. The revolutions in South America were really vicious and barbaric compared to the US revolution.

But, to answer your question more directly, remember that Rousseau had written a book called the "Social Contract" - among some of the ideas that it promotes, are the idea that a government is a deal between the people and the rulers, If the country is not doing well, or the people are treated unfairly, then the people have the right to rebel! So, in South America there was a lot of very unfair treatment of the people by the rich rulers.

You will have to read over a little more Rousseau to get the idea about what he meant.

Answer 2

Simón Bolívar was born in Caracas on July 24th of 1783, descendant of a family of Basque origin established in Venezuela since the end of the XVI century and which occupied a distinguished social and economic position in the province. His parents were Colonel Juan Vicente Bolívar y Ponte, and Concepción Palacios Blanco. He had two older sisters and a brother: María Antonia, Juana and Juan Vicente. There was another girl, María del Carmen, who died at birth. Before he was three years old, Simón lost his father, who passed away in January of 1786. The children’s education was supervised by his mother, a woman possessing a fine sensibility, but also capable of administering the family’s numerous properties. Aside from his paternal heritage, Simón was the owner of a rich “mayorazgo”, or inheritance, which was given to him in 1784 by his cousin Juan Felix Jerez y Ariteguieta, a priest. * he's also the founder of Bolivia (I was born there ^^) and because of his last name, Bolivar, it became Bolivia.

Answer 3

www.swans.com/library/art8/mws028.html

remember Simon was the "george washington" of SA.