Prologue

Simon Bolivar, born in 1783. By the time he was a young man three continents were in turmoil. North America were embroiled in their own revolution, while France had exploded into theirs while their leader, Napoleon Bonaparte's ambitions ended confronting Britain on the battle field against Wellington. Meanwhile events in England under the reign of George III were fairly steady with a new highly intelligent Prime Minister, Pitt the Younger and London attracted a young sophisticated society. Famous authors, poets, artists and philosophers dominated the social life of the rich and influential.

Most of South America was ruled by the Spanish. Effective settlement had been made around 1493 when the Spaniards discovered that the indigenous population were basically farm workers and were therefore useful to employ as slaves. The Spanish were excepionately cruel masters. By 1815 when Simon Bolivar was thirty two years old, the Spanish still held power in governments and armies of slaves for menial work.

Simon Bolivar was at the fore front of a monumental battle to liberate Latin America from Spanish colonialism in the early 19th century.

He led armies which drove the Spanish out of Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. He freed thousands lof enslaved people to help in that fight.

When the republic came under attack by Royalist forces, Bolivar was driven into exile. Bolivar joined republicans in Haiti where enslaved people had risen up and won their independence in 1804.

Simon đied after contracting Terberculosis similar to his parents.He was forty seven years old. He had an amazing gift of oratory and inspired his followers with his vision of liberation. This is a story of his personal life and the people who inspired him, admired him and loved him.