▁Independ ence ▁of ▁ 1 7 7 6 . ▁The ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁last ed ▁through ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁York town ▁— ▁its ▁last ▁major ▁campaign ▁— ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁with ▁peace ▁being ▁achieved ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 3 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Spanish ▁colon ies ▁won ▁their ▁independence ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish ▁American ▁wars ▁of ▁independence . ▁Sim ón ▁Bol í var ▁and ▁José ▁de ▁San ▁Martín , ▁among ▁others , ▁led ▁their ▁independence ▁struggle . ▁Although ▁Boliv ar ▁attempted ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁Spanish - spe aking ▁parts ▁of ▁Latin ▁America ▁polit ically ▁al lied , ▁they ▁rapidly ▁became ▁independent ▁of ▁one ▁another ▁as ▁well , ▁and ▁several ▁further ▁wars ▁were ▁fought , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Par agu ay an ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁( See ▁Latin ▁American ▁integration .) ▁In ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁col ony ▁Dom ▁Pedro ▁I ▁( also ▁Pedro ▁IV ▁of ▁Portugal ), ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁king ▁Dom ▁João ▁VI , ▁proc laimed ▁the ▁country ' s ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 ▁and ▁became ▁Brazil ' s ▁first ▁Emperor . ▁This ▁was ▁peace fully ▁accepted ▁by ▁the ▁crown ▁in ▁Portugal , ▁upon ▁compens ation . ▁ ▁Effect s ▁of ▁sla very ▁ ▁S la very ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁economic ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World ▁after ▁the ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁by ▁the