Ramtin Arablouei and Randa Abdel-Fattah

All in all, they were happy.

But less than a year after their wedding... She became ill.

I can't remember exactly what...

With yellow fever.

That's right, yellow fever.

But it struck her very rapidly, and so she died very quickly after.

Bolivar was left devastated.

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah, he was destroyed.

Some historians believe if Maria Teresa had not died, Bolivar might never have gotten involved in the fight for independence.

Bolivar himself said...

A relatively quiet life in the country.

But having just lost his wife, Bolivar began to search for a new purpose in life.

So fast forward a few years.

Bolivar is now in Paris, still depressed over the loss of his wife, still searching for a clear path forward, drinking a lot, womanizing.

And while there, he witnessed a rebellious fervor taking over France.

This was the era of the French Revolution, of Napoleon, of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Meanwhile, the fight for independence was ramping up in Venezuela.

At that time, Venezuela and most of South America was still a colony of the Spanish Empire.

The coincidence of history and personal tragedy and larger history is significant because this was also right around the time that Francisco de Miranda...