Quito Revolt of 1765 facts for kids

The Quito Revolt of 1765 was a big uprising in the city of Quito. It's also known as the Rebellion of the Barrios or the Quito Insurrection. This event temporarily took control of Quito away from the Spanish colonial government. It happened from 1765 to 1766.

A Look Back: Quito in the 1700s

In the 1700s, Quito was a large and important city. It was the capital of the Real Audiencia of Quito. This was a special court and government area. Quito was located in the southern part of the Spanish colony called the Viceroyalty of New Granada. This colony is now parts of countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. Quito had connections to the main government in Bogotá. It also had ties to the nearby Viceroyalty of Peru.

Why the Revolt Started

The uprising began on May 22, 1765. People were upset about new taxes. These taxes were on a drink called aguardiente. This drink was popular at the time.

The Uprising Grows

Tensions stayed very high in the city. On June 24, the revolt became a full-blown insurrection. This means it turned into a serious rebellion. Poorer people from the city's neighborhoods, called barrios, led this part of the revolt.

On June 27, these groups successfully overthrew the Spanish colonial government in Quito. They also forced out the "peninsulars." These were people born in Spain who held important jobs.

Who Was in Charge?

After the Spanish government was removed, a new group took over. This group was a mix of different people. It included land-owning criollos. These were people of Spanish descent born in the Americas. It also included working-class mestizo people. Mestizos were people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. This group worked together to govern Quito for a while.

The End of the Revolt

However, the unity of this group did not last. Political differences started to appear in 1766. The group eventually fell apart. A Spanish army then marched from Guayaquil. This army was led by Antonio de Zelaya. They entered Quito on September 1, 1766. The army met almost no resistance. This brought the city back under the control of the Spanish viceroy.

Why This Revolt Was Important

The Quito Revolt is seen as an early sign of bigger changes. It was a precursor to other revolts across Spanish America later in the 1700s. These smaller revolts eventually led to the Spanish American wars of independence in the early 1800s. These wars helped many countries in South America become independent. The Quito Revolt was the largest rebellion against colonial Spain in South America until the Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II in Peru in 1780.

See also

In Spanish: Revolución de los Estancos para niños

• Revolt of the Comuneros, Paraguay, 1730
• Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II, Peru, 1780
• Revolt of the Comuneros, Colombia, 1781