New Granada Revolution

It can be said that Creoles were the main driving force of the New Granada Revolution. This is because of the social injustice going on towards them. During the 1760s, king Charles III, son of Felipe V and Elizabeth Farnese began passing out reforms in order to regain economic and political control of the Spanish colonies. The Bourbon reforms, amongst many things, made changes in the Creoles economic, political and religious aspects of life. One of the main reasons for resentment was that they forbid Creoles from having positions of power or influence in the government. Creoles felt that their education and descendance from European families gave them the right to be in those positions. In Bolivar`s “Jamaica Letter” written in 1815, he complained that Creoles were being treated like slaves, “ For we, having been placed in a state lower than slavery, have been robbed not only of our freedom but also of the right to exercise an active tyranny”. They owned most of the businesses, lands and plantations in the colonies and felt they worked very hard to be treated merely as consumers (due to mercantilism) with no rights to contribute anything regarding descisions made about their country. The Bourbon reform was also an important cause for the New Granada Revolution because it affected the Creoles, who, as mentioned before, were the ones leading this revolution. 

It can be said that Creoles were the main driving force of the New Granada Revolution. This is because of the social injustice going on towards them. During the 1760s, king Charles III, son of Felipe V and Elizabeth Farnese began passing out reforms in order to regain economic and political control of the Spanish colonies. The Bourbon reforms, amongst many things, made changes in the Creoles economic, political and religious aspects of life. One of the main reasons for resentment was that they forbid Creoles from having positions of power or influence in the government. Creoles felt that their education and descendance from European families gave them the right to be in those positions. In Bolivar`s “Jamaica Letter” written in 1815, he complained that Creoles were being treated like slaves, “ For we, having been placed in a state lower than slavery, have been robbed not only of our freedom but also of the right to exercise an active tyranny”. They owned most of the businesses, lands and plantations in the colonies and felt they worked very hard to be treated merely as consumers (because of Mercantilism) with no rights to decide anything about their country. The Bourbon reform was an important cause for the New Granada Revolution because it affected the Creoles, who, as mentioned before, were the ones who led this revolution.