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Bolívar's Sacred Mount Vow Defined His Path
- Simón Bolívar combined personal disgust with Spanish rule and intensive study of Enlightenment and revolutionary examples to crystallize a vow to liberate his country.
- His 1805 ascent of the Sacred Mount in Rome marked the moment he pledged to 'liberate his country or die trying.'
Trafalgar Opened The Seas To Intervention
- Trafalgar (1805) destroyed the cream of the Spanish navy and gave Britain command of the seas, making naval-based interventions in Spanish America possible.
- British sea power directly enabled both Mirandas's and Popham's expeditions in 1806.
Verify Foreign Backing Before Launching Expeditions
- Build legitimacy through networks and appearances but verify commitment beyond tacit endorsement before relying on foreign backing.
- Miranda secured US arms, recruits, and implied White House support, yet lacked formal sanction and robust planning.