题目内容：
根据以下材料回答题：By 1830 the former Spanish and Portuguese colonies had become independent nations. The roughly 20 million___(1)___of these nations looked ___(2)___to the future. Born in the crisis of the old regime and Iberian Colonialism， many of the leaders of independence ___(3)___ the ideas of representative government， careers___(4)___to talent， freedom of commerce and trade， the___(5)___ to private property， and a belief in the individual as the basis of society， ___(6)___there was a belief that the new nations should be sovereign and independent states， large enough to be economically viable and integrated by a___(7)___set of laws. On the issue of___(8)___ of religion and the position of the church，___(9)___， there was less agreement___(10)___the leadership. Roman Catholicism had been the state religion and the only one ___(11)___by the Spanish crown，___(12)___most leaders sought to maintain Catholicism___(13)___the official religion of the new states， some sought to end the ___(14)___of other faiths. The defense of the Church became a rallying___(15)___ for the conservative forces.
The ideals of the early leaders of independence were often egalitarian， valuing equality of everything. Bolivar had received aid from Haiti and had ___(16)___in return to abolish slavery in the areas he liberated. By 1854 slavery had been abolished everywhere except Spain's ___(17)___colonies. Early promises to end Indian tribute and taxes on people of mixed origin came much ___(18)___ because the new nations still needed the revenue such policies ___(19)___ Egalitarian sentiments were often tempered by fears that the mass of the population was___(20)___ self-rule and democracy. 请选择(1)处最佳答案（ ）。 A．natives
B．inhabitants
C．peoples
D．individuals
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