After an independent revolution, a nation tends to enter a period where it learns independence and can function on its own with its own identity. They learn to respect the rights of their citizens, ensure national security, instill a sense of patriotism, and manage economic endeavors in ways that benefit the nation as a whole. After their revolutions for independence, Latin American countries did not achieve many of these milestones. The countries of have shown no signs of becoming independent after their revolutions. They allowed Britain and the United States to dictate their economic infrastructure by exploiting the masses and allowing only a few individuals to enjoy wealth. This in turn led to brutal political dictators, large numbers of landless agricultural workers, low literacy rates, and repression of workers. Latin America is a rich land with poor people because the leaders of each country have failed to figure out how to effectively create an independent nation. After most Latin American countries gained independence from Spain in the late 19th century, the question of what type of nation was created. Questions arose about what government countries would adopt and who would oversee them. Many wanted to maintain the Spanish-American tradition of a ruling monarch; while others were intrigued by the teachings and doctrines of the Enlightenment and admiring of American success and wanted to start fresh as a republic. The federalist and centralist factions aligned themselves with two main political currents that dominated Latin American politics in the 19th century: liberalism and conservatism. In general, liberals viewed the United States as a model while conservatives... middle of paper ... individuals in power were too selfish to care about the nation as a whole. Their only concern was to enrich themselves as much as possible without worrying about the well-being of others. In a sense, Latin America is not “detached” from Spain. The main goal of Spanish colonial America was to exploit the masses and restrict the power and wealth of the elite. This notion has prevailed throughout Latin American history. As long as Latin American countries cannot free themselves from exploitation and the involvement of foreign powers in their economies, they will never be able to do so[-]. The United States played an important role in Latin America's lack of progressiveness after the 19th century. Anything that challenged U.S. trade interests in Latin America led to a drastic response from the United States. These radical reactions scare many citizens.