This is a map of Brazil from the 1500s that lists its various inherited captaincies (Teixeira).
While other countries such as Britain and France continued to pursue imperialistic goals, the strength of Spain and Portugal gradually began to fade. During the early 1800s, Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Latin America demanded independence. Influential leaders such as Simon Bolivar and Miguel Hidalgo were key to the success of these independence movements in Venezuela and Mexico, where following years of class tensions and unfair treatment, the colonists rebelled against the Spanish peninsulars who held most of the power. Meanwhile, the Portuguese colony of Brazil also gained independence in a bloodless revolution, a distinction that would earn the new nation significance in the era of Latin American revolutions. Given that nearby Spanish colonies had gained independence, Brazilians desired the same result. In the end, Pedro I, prince of Portugal, declared Brazilian independence in 1822 and instilled a constitutional monarchy.
In contrast, other European nations expanded their empires into Africa and Asia. The Belgium Conference carved out spheres of influence in Africa and in Asia, Britain took control over India while France conquered much of Vietnam. Unlike Spain and Portugal, these countries satisfied their desire for natural resources and economic opportunity by expanding their empires through imperialism (Bulliet et. al 594-598).
As a whole, Spain and Portugal were unable to stop revolution from undermining their power. For example, one of the decisive events in ending Spanish control in the Americas was the Spanish-American War in 1898. As Cuba attempted to wrest free of Spanish control, the United States stepped in and quickly defeated Spanish forces. In a matter of months, Spain’s ties to the Americas were severely weakened, never to strengthen again. The Spanish-American War is largely considered as the last step in ending Spain’s imperialistic power (Armstrong 237).