Viceroyalty of New Granada

The Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada, also called the Viceroyalty of New Granada or Viceroyalty of Santa Fe, was a region ruled by Spain in northern South America. It covered parts of what are now Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.

Created in 1717 by King Felipe V, it was part of Spain’s plan to better control its territories. However, it was stopped in 1723 because of money problems and then started again in 1739. During this time, Panama became part of it, and in 1777, the areas of Venezuela were separated to become their own region.

Besides these main lands, the Viceroyalty also included parts of Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, southwestern Suriname, some of northwestern Brazil, and northern Peru. Later, in 1803, a stretch along the Atlantic Ocean called the Mosquito Coast was added, though Britain also wanted to control it.

Colonial history

Two centuries after the creation of the New Kingdom of Granada, the distance between important cities made it hard for leaders to communicate. In 1717, this led to the creation of an independent area called the Viceroyalty of New Granada. It was stopped for a short time but started again in 1739.

Other areas that are now parts of Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama joined together under the leadership of Bogotá. This made Bogotá one of the main cities for Spain's rule in the New World. Travel was difficult because of the rough land and few roads. To better manage faraway places, Spain created a separate leader group in Caracas in 1777 and allowed the older leader group in Quito to work mostly on its own. These actions showed local traditions that later helped shape each area's own identity after they became independent.

The Spanish never fully controlled the Wayuu people. There were many fights between the two groups over the years. In 1769, the Spanish took some Wayuus to work, which led to a big fight. The Wayuus burned buildings and took over many places. They even fought among themselves, but finally, with help from Spanish soldiers, the fighting slowed down, and the Wayuus got back some of their land.

Administrative divisions

New Kingdom of Granada (Real Audiencia of Santa Fe de Bogotá)

The Real Audiencia of Santa Fe de Bogotá was set up in 1549 and became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. It was moved to the Viceroyalty of Peru from 1723 to 1739. It met in the city of Santa Fe de Bogotá until it ended in 1810. It was briefly started again between 1816 and 1819. It had many provinces under its control during different times.

Kingdom of Quito (Real Audiencia of Quito)

The Kingdom of Quito had several provinces that were part of it from 1717 to 1822.

Kingdom of Tierra Firme (Real Audiencia of Panama)

The Kingdom of Tierra Firme had a few provinces that were under its control from 1739 to 1751.

Kingdom and Captaincy General of Venezuela (Real Audiencia of Caracas)

The Kingdom and Captaincy General of Venezuela had many provinces that were part of it from 1786 to 1810.

Independent history

The struggle for independence grew stronger because Spain was weaker, and leaders like Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander helped guide the movement. Bolívar led troops across the Andes mountains and won a key battle at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819, leading to independence being declared in 1821. The areas that were once part of the viceroyalty became fully independent from Spain between 1819 and 1822, forming a republic called Gran Colombia.

Later, Gran Colombia split into separate countries: Ecuador, Venezuela, and the Republic of New Granada. The Republic of New Granada existed from 1831 to 1856, with its capital in Bogotá. After a civil war, the country was renamed the "United States of Colombia", though some people still used the old name "New Granada".

Demographics

In 1778, the area known as New Granada had about 1,280,000 people. Most of them, around 500,000, were Indigenous people. Another large group was made up of around 400,000 free Mestizos and Africans. There were close to 300,000 white people. The smallest group, with about 70,000 people, were enslaved individuals. By 1810, the population had grown to about 2,150,000 people.