New Granada Revolution
A Brief Context Of The Colonies Before The Revolution
Even before the New Granada Revolution or war of independence, there had been several small-scale, feeble attempts at independence by various groups but never resulted in anything but the slaughtering of thousands of men that took up arms against Spain through out the eighteenth century. The reason many early attempts at battle failed was due to the racially segregated society that was New Granada. Despite the fact that even the white royalist elites desired a change in the goverment nothing was ever achieved due to the same reason, afore mentioned. These royalist elites did lead many small-scale revolts but did not even get a glimpse at independance. The failure of these and many other revolts before that of Simon Bolivar was due to the hesitation by upper class individuals to cooperate with those people whom they viewed as lesser in their society.
General Overview
Social class during the time of the Viceroyalty of New Granada was predominantly determined by race. At the height of the social spectrum were the Royalist elites most of whom were creoles or a word used to describe white Europeans born in a colony, these men and women usually held high positions of power as well as a great sense of loyalty to the throne. Farther down on the social spectrum of the Viceroyalty were those who were descendants of both European and native or Mestizo people. Meztiso people were able to hold government positions but were still viewed as lesser by there elitist counterparts. Now, those living in the colonies that held a any form of African ancestry, were usuallly treated horribly. People of any African descendance nearly always had to work the most difficult jobs in the harshest circumstances most commonly in unstable mines across the colony for little to no reward for their endless labors.
The Social issues prior to the Revolution...
The Viceroyalty of New Granada functioned similarly to a dictatorship. White officials in Spain roughly eight thousand miles away were making nearly all the decisions regarding the Viceroyalty with little to no concern of the well being of the people residing there. Spanish rule was oppressive and strict but inconsistent in its reign many areas were able to do as they pleased without Spains's consent due to this inconsistency. This same loose rule led to May regional conflicts.
Conflicts and desire for independence from Spain were in the hearts of colonists since the inception of the Vice Royalty in the year seventeen seventeen. Although the New Granada Revolution was clearly the most successful many came before it with opposite results. One example of this was the Comuneros revolution in Seventeen eighty one brought one by taxes and other rules strictly enforced by Spain. Despite the fact that the Comuneros revolution only ended in blood shed and did not achieve even a glimpse of independence the Comuneros revolution did pave the path for future revolutions and revolutionaries in the area such as Simon Bolivar.
Attempts for independance before Bolivar
Under Spanish Rule:
Echeverri, Marcela. "Popular Royalists, Empire, and Politics in Southwestern New Granada, 1809-1819." The Hispanic American Historical Review 91.2, Latin American Independence II (2011): 237-69. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.