Viceroyalty of New Granada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viceroyalty of New Granada Virreinato de la Nueva Granada Virreinato del Nuevo Reyno de Granada
1717–1723 1739–1810 1816–1822
Flag of Spain Coat of arms
Motto: Utraque Unum "Out of two (worlds) one"
Anthem: Marcha Real "Royal March"
Viceroyalty of New Granada
Status	Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire
Capital	Santa Fé de Bogotá
Common languages	Spanish (official, administrative) Indigenous languages (Arawakan languages, Barbacoan languages, Chibchan languages, Guajibo languages, Páez, Ticuna)
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Government	Monarchy
Kings
• 1717–1724 (first)	Philip V
• 1813–1822 (last)	Ferdinand VII
Viceroy
• 1718–1719 (first)	Antonio Ignacio de la Pedrosa y Guerrero
• 1819–1822 (last)	Juan de la Cruz Mourgeón
Historical era	Spanish colonization of the Americas
• Established	27 May 1717–1723 1739–1810 1816
• Suppressed	5 November 1723
• Reestablished	20 August 1739
• Separation of Venezuelan territory	8 September 1777
• Independence declared	20 July 1810
• Reconquered	3 September 1816
• Battle of Pichincha	24 May 1822
Currency	Spanish real
Preceded by Succeeded by New Spain New Kingdom of Granada Venezuela Province Viceroyalty of Peru Venezuela Province Captaincy General of Venezuela Trinidad and Tobago Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca United Provinces of New Granada Gran Colombia

The Viceroyalty of New Granada was a large area in northern South America. It was part of the Spanish Empire. This region included what we know today as Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.

The Viceroyalty was first created on May 27, 1717, by King Felipe V of Spain. This was done to better control the Spanish lands. It was stopped for a short time in 1723 because of money problems. But it was brought back in 1739. The Viceroyalty lasted until 1810, when people started fighting for independence.

Later, in 1777, the areas of Venezuela became a separate region called the Captaincy General of Venezuela. Besides the main countries, the Viceroyalty also included parts of Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, southwestern Suriname, and northern Peru.

Life in the Spanish Colony

Spanish and Portuguese empires, 1790.

For about 200 years, the area was known as the New Kingdom of Granada. Its governor reported to the Viceroy in Lima, Peru. But it took a very long time for messages to travel between these two places. This slow communication led to the creation of the independent Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717.

The capital city was Santa Fé de Bogotá (now Bogotá, Colombia). This made Bogotá one of the most important Spanish centers in the New World. Other important cities were Lima and Mexico City. The Spanish government tried to make things more efficient. But it was hard for Spain to control everything from so far away.

The land in northern South America was very rugged and diverse. This made travel and communication inside the Viceroyalty difficult. To help with this, some areas like Venezuela got their own special governments. This also meant that different parts of the Viceroyalty developed their own traditions. These differences later played a role when these areas became independent countries.

The Wayuu Rebellion

Map of La Guajira in 1769

The Spanish never fully took control of the Wayuu people. The Wayuu lived in a constant state of war with the Spanish. There were many rebellions over the years. In 1718, a Spanish governor called the Wayuu "barbarians" and "without God." The Wayuu were special because they learned how to use guns and horses.

In 1769, the Spanish captured 22 Wayuu people. They wanted them to work on building forts in Cartagena. The Wayuu reacted strongly. On May 2, 1769, near Riohacha, they burned their village. They also captured a priest. The Spanish sent a group to fight the Wayuu. This group was led by José Antonio de Sierra, a mestizo (a person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry).

Pedro Messía de la Cerda, Viceroy of New Granada

The Wayuu recognized Sierra. They forced his group to hide in a house, which they then set on fire. Sierra and eight of his men died. News of this success spread quickly. More Wayuu men joined the revolt. At its peak, about 20,000 Wayuu fighters were involved. Many had guns from English and Dutch traders.

The rebels took over and burned many Spanish settlements. Over 100 Spanish people were killed, and many were taken prisoner. The Wayuu also took many cattle. The Spanish took shelter in Riohacha and asked for help from other cities. Spanish soldiers arrived, and the rebellion slowly ended. But the Wayuu had won back much of their land.

The Comunero Revolt

There was another important uprising called the Comunero Revolt. This happened in 1781. It was a protest against new taxes and rules from the Spanish government. People from different social groups joined together. Even though the revolt was eventually put down, it showed the growing desire for change.

Becoming Independent

After the Spanish took back control for a short time, the fight for independence started again. Spain was weaker, which helped the independence movement. Leaders like Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander led the fight. Bolívar returned to New Granada in 1819. He led an army over the Andes mountains.

His army won a big victory at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819. This led to independence being declared in 1821. By 1822, the Spanish forces were defeated in what is now Colombia. By 1823, they were defeated in Venezuela.

The territories of the Viceroyalty became fully independent from Spain between 1819 and 1822. They joined together to form a new country called Gran Colombia.

Later, Gran Colombia broke apart. This led to the creation of Ecuador, Venezuela, and the Republic of New Granada. The Republic of New Granada, with its capital in Bogotá, lasted from 1831 to 1856. The name "Colombia" came back later when the country was called the "United States of Colombia" after a civil war.

Population and Cities

In 1819, it was thought that about 4,345,000 people lived in New Granada.

Here are some of the main cities by population at that time:

• 1 – Santa Fe de Bogotá
• 2 – Caracas
• 3 – Cartagena de Indias
• 4 – Quito
• 5 – Panama
• 6 – Cuenca
• 7 – Popayán
• 8 – Tunja
• 9 – Santa Marta
• 10 – Guayaquil

See also

In Spanish: Virreinato de Nueva Granada para niños

• History of the Americas
• History of Colombia
• History of Ecuador
• History of Venezuela
• List of Viceroys of New Granada
• Spanish Empire
• Criollo people