Simón Bolívar (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830), was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played an instrumental role in the establishment of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia independent of Spanish rule.

Bolívar was born to wealth. His father died when he was three, and his mother died when he was nine. When his uncle took him in, he provided Simon with tutors. One tutor, Simón Rodríguez, was very influential on Bolivar. Rodriguez, studied under Jean-Jacques Rousseau, introduced Bolívar to enlightenment ideas.

At the age of 16, Bolívar was sent to Europe for school. While in Paris, he met Alexander von Humboldt, a thinker who spent time in South America.

Von Humboldt told Bolivar, "I believe that your country is ready for its independence. But I cannot see the man who is to achieve it." In 1807 Bolivar returned to Venezuela. The independence movement started as Napoleon invaded Spain. Many Spanish colonies wanted the right to nominate their own officials. Many people saw this as an opportunity to sever their ties with Spain. At this time, Bolívar was sent on a mission to London. His assignment was to explain to England the plight of the revolutionary colony, to gain recognition for it, and to obtain arms and support. He met up with the exiled Venezuelan Francisco de Miranda, who in 1806 had attempted to liberate his country single-handedly. Bolivar persuaded Miranda to return to Caracas and assume command of the independence movement.

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In 1811 a group met in to draft a constitution. Bolívar declared, “Let us lay the cornerstone of American freedom without fear. To hesitate is to perish.” The group declared Venezuela’s independence on July 5, 1811. Bolívar now entered the army of the young republic, whose commander in chief was Miranda.

Soon after, Bolivar and Miranda drifted apart. Miranda called Bolívar a “dangerous youth,” and Bolívar disagreed with the way Miranda was leading the country. In 1812 Miranda signed an armistice that ended fighting and gave power back to Spain.

Determined to continue the struggle, Bolívar obtained a passport to leave the country and went to Cartagena in New Granada. There he published (The Cartagena Manifesto), in which he attributed the fall of Venezuela’s First Republic to the lack of strong government and called for a united revolutionary effort to destroy the power of Spain in the Americas.

Bolívar led an army to retake Venezuela. He was successful and in 1813, entered Caracas. He was given the title of Liberator and assumed political dictatorship.

The war of independence was just beginning, however. The majority of the people of Venezuela were hostile to the forces of independence and weary of the sacrifices imposed. A cruel civil war broke out, and Bolívar himself resorted to extreme measures, such as the shooting of prisoners.

In 1815, Spain had sent the strongest force that had ever crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Its commander was Pablo Morillo. Since neither

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Great Britain nor the United States would promise aid, Bolívar turned to Haiti, which had recently freed itself from French rule. There he was given a friendly reception as well as money and weapons.

Despite a number of hindrances, the revolutionaries eventually prevailed, culminating in a victory at the Battle of Carabobo in 1821, which effectively made Venezuela his.

Following this triumph over the Spanish monarchy, Bolívar participated in the foundation of the first union of independent nations in Latin America, Gran Colombia, of which he was president from 1819 to 1830. Through further military conquest, he also conquered Ecuador, Peru, and finally, Bolivia (which was named after him), assuming the presidency of each of these new nations.

Modern-day historians consider Bolívar to be a deeply polarizing individual, with criticism aimed especially at his belief that a strong presidency, maintained for life, is essential to a state's survival. Nevertheless, many Latin Americans laud him as a meritorious liberator, whose revolutionary ideas and reforms continue to leave a lasting legacy today.

Simon Bolivar was one of the most powerful figures in world political history, leading the independence movement for six nations (an area the size of modern Europe).