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.

It was created in 1717 by King Felipe V to help Spain control its lands better. But it stopped in 1723 because of money problems and then started again in 1739. During this time, Panama joined it, and in 1777, the areas of Venezuela became 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, leaders found it hard to communicate because cities were far apart. In 1717, this led to the creation of 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 helped each area keep its own traditions.

The Spanish never fully controlled the Wayuu people. There were many fights between the two groups over the years. The Wayuus and the Spanish sometimes fought, but with help, things calmed 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 started in 1549 and joined the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. It was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru from 1723 to 1739. It met in Santa Fe de Bogotá until it ended in 1810. It started again briefly from 1816 to 1819. During its time, it had many provinces.

Kingdom of Quito (Real Audiencia of Quito)

The Kingdom of Quito had several provinces from 1717 to 1822.

Kingdom of Tierra Firme (Real Audiencia of Panama)

The Kingdom of Tierra Firme had a few provinces from 1739 to 1751.

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

The Kingdom and Captaincy General of Venezuela had many provinces from 1786 to 1810.

Independent history

The fight for independence grew because Spain was weaker. 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 in 1819. Independence was 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 called New Granada had about 1,280,000 people. Most were Indigenous people, about 500,000. There were also around 400,000 free Mestizos and Africans, close to 300,000 white people, and about 70,000 enslaved individuals. By 1810, the population grew to about 2,150,000 people.